The FY 2013 budgets for higher education provide modest spending increases compared to FY 2012. The budgets provide funding for enrollment growth within both the university and technical college systems; however, the University System’s Teaching program and the Technical College System’s Technical Education program experience funding cuts.
The higher education system plays an important role in promoting economic development throughout Georgia. Not only is it an engine that builds the workforce, Georgia’s research institutions are catalysts for innovation for businesses looking to expand or locate in the state. Furthermore, technical colleges provide flexible and responsive training programs to meet the workforce demands of employers. Thus, continued disinvestment in higher education poses serious challenges to Georgia’s economic future.
