The state youth advocacy organization Virginia21 launched the Save $1,246 campaign to plug the gap between the recommendations of the State Council on Higher Education and current budget appropriations.
According to Virginia21 Communications Director David Solimini, the Save $1,246 Campaign was initiated to convince lawmakers to close the funding gap between Virginia college and university base adequacy requests and current appropriations. Funding for Virginia state colleges and universities is currently about $377 million under the State Council on Higher Education's recommendations.
Solimini maintains that should the state government agree to appropriate the additional $377 million, it would save Virginia colleges and universities an average of $1,246 per student. Solimini projects that this money will come from students and their families in the form of higher tuition rates.
"The money has got to come from somewhere," Solimini said. "If the state does not make up this gap, schools will be forced to make it up in tuition."
In recent years the University has operated with budgets lower than SCHEV recommendations without raising tuition to plug the gap.
Budget recommendations for higher education are made annually by the State Council on Higher Education.
According Dan Hix, Finance Policy director of the State Council on Higher Education, the Council's recommendations come from an estimate of the financial needs of each Virginia college or university in comparison to peer institutions.
"Our goal is to be in the 60th percentile of the peer group average," Hix said.
The state's comparative funding suffered from weaker than projected tax revenue as a result of the economic downturn in recent years, and the state has not met its target of 60th percentile since 2000.
"I think there has to be a balancing here, especially in extreme times," Hix said.
Currently Virginia institutions are around the 50th percentile of their peer groups' averages and would require a funding increase of four to five percent per year to reach the 60th percentile goal by 2008.
University students should be optimistic about the current situation said Student Council's J.R. Slosson, who chairs the Legislative Affairs Committee.
"The Governor's proposal is favorable to U.Va.," Slosson said.
Under the current General Assembly appropriations, funding would reach the 60th percentile by 2010.
"Our council and chairman thought that we needed to be aggressive and reach these goals in two years," Hix said.
According to Hix, the State Council on Higher Education has not given up this plan.
"We hope there will be some additional money put in by the General Assembly before the session is over," Hix said.
According to Solimini, the budget gap especially will affect the 40 percent of Virginia college students who have some sort of financial need.
"Even programs like AccessUVa are not helping 40 percent of students," Solimini said.
The Save $1,246 campaign is working to get students and their families involved through online petitions and activism.
"The best way to get involved in the campaign is through the Web site," Solimini said.
Kevin Hall, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's press secretary did not return phone calls.
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