HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The next budget year most likely will bring more state funding cuts to West Virginia’s higher education institutions just one year after a 7.5 percent reduction.
“At Marshall, we’re planning for the next 10 years and beyond as to how we’re going to operate with reduced state funding, but we don’t want to have to operate without state funding,” said Matt Turner, chief of staff for Marshall University president Stephen Kopp.
To shine a spotlight on the coming cuts, Kopp and members of Marshall’s Faculty Senate are hosting a series of forums this week for faculty, students and community members. Legislators, members of the Higher Education Policy Commission and other state officials have been invited to attend as well.
Following this year’s funding reductions, tuition went up at colleges and universities throughout West Virginia. Marshall, for example, implemented tuition increases ranging from 4.82 percent ($140 more a semester) for resident students to 3.7 percent ($255 more a semester) for non-residents.
Last month, state lawmakers were told the projected shortfall for the budget year that starts in July 2014 could be between $265 million and $350 million, though that number may grow depending on revenue collections.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has already again asked many state agencies to submit budget proposals that are 7.5 percent lower than the current budgets in the new year. Public education, corrections, Medicaid and others are exempt from those cuts. Higher education is not.
“We all have to strike a balance and we all have those budget challenges ahead of us, from family and students, on up to the state lawmakers and the university decision makers,” said Turner. “We all have a challenge with the budget ahead so we’re going to have to find out what our next steps are.”
He said more state budget cuts could lead to service reductions or program eliminations.
This week’s meetings will be held Monday at the Marshall University Mid-Ohio Valley Center in Point Pleasant, Tuesday at the Marshall University John Deaver Drinko Library in Huntington and Thursday at Marshall University’s South Charleston campus in Kanawha County.
“We’re spreading it around and hoping with get legislators and local officials as well as community members, parents and students from each of these respective areas to come and join us,” said Turner.
Each forum starts at 6 p.m and Beth Vorhees with West Virginia Public Broadcasting moderating the discussions.