Alabama legislators are currently drafting new legislation aimed at changing the funding model for colleges and universities across the state.
) - Alabama legislators are currently drafting new legislation aimed at changing the funding model for colleges and universities across the state. The core of the new proposal involves allocating extra funds to higher education institutions to help boost graduation rates.
“We are subsidizing you, but we’re not getting a lot of bang for the buck,” State Senator Arthur Orr said. “Students are coming in, and for whatever reason, they’re dropping out. They’re not around four years later to get their diploma. So how do we address that?”Orr said this could include first-generation college students or those from low-income backgrounds who are facing financial and personal hurdles. The goal would be to have these schools utilize these additional funds to improve graduation and retention rates for those students. “How can we intervene in that student’s life to keep them focused on their goal, keep them in school? “ Orr said. ”Well, that costs money. However, we want to help the institutions do that because we’re investing in that student’s education by subsidizing our state institutions of higher education. If we’re going to subsidize their education, we want it to pay off for our state." The additional funds would come from the Education Opportunity Reserve Fund, which holds approximately one billion dollars. Beyond improving graduation rates, Senator Orr also expressed a desire for colleges and universities to utilize this money to bolster interest and enrollment in high-demand fields like nursing and engineering. He believes this strategic investment will encourage more graduates to remain in Alabama, thereby enhancing the state’s workforce and improving the long-term standard of living for its citizens. Orr indicated that the funding model would be tailored to each institution, recognizing the distinct characteristics and needs of individual colleges and universities.“We’re actually late to the party to raise the bar, challenge our schools of higher education, give them the resources that they need to meet those increased demands on them,” Orr said. “And to meet their targets and work with them to get something that’s fair and reasonable. At the end of the day, something that will benefit our state and certainly increase the reward or return for our taxpayers.”Here’s how you can claim money in a $177 million AT&T data breach settlement 2-year-old died after hospital missed a decimal point in medication dosage, leading to overdose, lawsuit saysCauses of death revealed for couple found in vehicle days before first wedding anniversaryMPD investigates early morning homicide on Belle Wood Drive West
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