Lawmakers are expected to approve raises next month for most state employees, despite a tight budget and pleas for significant funding boosts for several core programs. But higher education officials, whose institutions fund thousands of jobs with tuition, say the raises could complicate their already uphill climb to close deficits and preserve programs. Meanwhile, faculty unions say students already have paid a steep price in recent years with rising fees and programmatic cuts, adding that state government’s coffers are sufficiently flush to cover both reasonable wages and sound academic programs.
