Funding Inches Up, Gaps Persist
Georgia’s proposed $1.94 billion budget for higher education in the 2015 fiscal year adds some much needed money for several key initiatives compared to the prior year. However most of the increase just keeps pace with growth and rising health care and retirement costs. This means funding for Georgia’s university and technical college systems remains stuck below pre-recession levels and cuts in instruction are not fully restored. Both systems face considerable financial stress. Georgia needs many more students to finish a postsecondary program or degree to spur economic growth and reach the state’s goal of adding 250,000 more graduates by 2020. But the state’s shrinking commitment to higher education makes it harder to get there. Download the full report.
