Foster care, higher education figure significantly into 2017 budget

Foster care, higher education figure significantly into 2017 budget

Governor Hutchinson presented his balanced budget amendment before legislators this week.

His proposal includes tax cuts and two significant funding increases.

One of the increases includes $26.7 million to offset the growing needs of our foster care system. The other increase is to higher education. The Governor has said he would support a $10 million increase to higher education funding if the General Assembly adopts a new model for funding our institutions.

The Governor has said he believes the current model formula rewards enrollment rather than achievement.

The new formula being proposed places priority on accountability, student success, and program completion.

If the new model is adopted, Arkansas will join Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, and Oregon to move toward a productivity model.

This new way of funding will have a positive impact on colleges like ASU Mid-South, where enrollment has been impacted by a declining surrounding population.

Currently just over 20 percent of Arkansans have a bachelor’s degree or higher. And history tells us our state improves as a whole when our population furthers their education.

An Arkansan with a bachelor’s degree will make an average of $29,400 in their first year after graduation.

And an individual with an associate’s degree makes an average of $24,000 the first year.

By comparison, an Arkansan with a high school diploma will make an average of $10,600 their first year in the workforce. An Arkansan needs to make at a minimum $19,800 a year to cover essential expenses.

There are 11 public universities and 22 public community colleges in our state. The Governor’s proposal received support from several of our leaders in higher education institutions.

The General Assembly will do its due diligence in 2017 to review the proposal.

In the meantime, if you would like to know more about the make-up of the 91st General Assembly including the membership of committees, please visit our website, www.arkansashouse.org.

From State Representative Deborah Ferguson