Wednesday, December 16, 2015

University of Alaska regents hear more sour news about funding - Casey Grove, News Miner

University of Alaska officials continue to talk cuts and consolidation amid a budget proposal this week from the governor’s office to slash state funding of the university system. Gov. Bill Walker’s budget plan, revealed Wednesday, would provide about $330 million to the statewide university system for fiscal 2017, reducing university funding by more than $15.7 million, or 4.6 percent, from the previous year. Walker's plan does not include capital funding to complete the unfinished engineering building at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is balanced on changes to annual dividend payouts to Alaskans, an income tax and other tax hikes the state Legislature will be asked to approve, the likelihood of which some have questioned in an election year. The university gets about 40 percent of its funding from the state. http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/university-of-alaska-regents-hear-more-sour-news-about-funding/article_b3be6690-9fba-11e5-84e0-37dbb44b9507.html