Budget cuts could impact economy beyond UND - Andrew Haffner, Grand Forks Herald

In the ongoing process of budget reductions for the university and for North Dakota's higher education system at large, UND leadership has emphasized the school's economic weight as reason to preserve state funding. As of now, the university is anticipating a biennial funding cut of about $32 million over the 2017-19 budget period. What's less clear is how reductions to state funding might impact other wallets across the city and state. Keith Lund, vice president of the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation, said the university touches "nearly every facet" of the local economy, most clearly due to its student population of more than 14,600 and a total workforce of about 4,000. http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/4241940-budget-cuts-could-impact-economy-beyond-und