Lost in the excitement surrounding Super Bowl XLV was yesterday's kickoff of another contest that has the potential to be even more bone-jarring - that is, the debate between the Virginia House of Delegates and the State Senate about appropriations for the final 16 months of the state's two-year budget. Although both chambers' bills are dealing with the same amount of money, there is a clear winner in the realm of higher education.
The bill released by the Senate Finance Committee offers several promising provisions that will go a long way toward reinforcing the vitality of the state's university system, whereas the House Appropriations Committee takes a few steps in that direction but fails to live up to that standard. The challenge now is for the two chambers to incorporate the best aspects of the Senate's vision into a coherent budget that can pass before the General Assembly adjourns Feb. 26.
Both bills seek to fulfill Gov. Bob McDonnell's objective of conferring an additional 100,000 associate's and bachelor's degrees during the next 15 years. The House proposal increases funding for higher education by $94.3 million, with $61 million going toward tuition assistance for students attending public colleges and universities. The Senate plan is constructed differently though it achieves the same end - it only features $16.6 million of tuition assistance but includes $34 million to help colleges and universities cover operating costs. That infusion of money would make it less likely that tuition increases would be needed in the immediate future.
The Senate bill's superiority becomes evident, however, when one looks at how it treats public education overall. Whereas the House would pay for its college tuition assistance by cutting a little more than $50 million of direct aid to K-12 education, the Senate actually increases funding for primary and secondary schools by $100 million. To do so, it dedicates $150 million of surplus tax revenue to the General Fund - which pays primarily for education, health care and public safety - instead of putting it toward transportation as in the House bill. Although more money is indeed needed for transportation projects in Northern Virginia, policy-makers in the Senate are correct to point out that those funds should come from dedicated revenue streams such as the gas tax rather than from general tax collections. Through its reluctance to raid the General Fund, the Senate has acknowledged that adequately preparing students for college is just as important as making college affordable if the number of degrees awarded by state colleges and universities is to be increased.
Furthermore, the Senate bill reaffirms the state's commitment to funding research programs at public universities. It devotes $5 million to cancer research at the University as well as at Virginia Commonwealth University, signaling the Senate's appreciation of the role quality research initiatives play in attracting talented faculty and training students studying science and technology.\nEven in minute details the Senate proposal outperforms the one presented by the House. The University requested $2.59 million in state funding for renovations to the Rotunda that will address an on-going problem with roof leaks. Although such a project may sound like a trivial way to spend taxpayer funds, the upkeep of the Rotunda is vital not only for the University but also for the state. The building serves as a defining feature of the University's physical and intellectual character, and it is a crucial part of the state's cultural heritage. If the state were to default on its commitment to such a landmark, it would suggest that its leaders had fallen out of touch with their appreciation for the past and were also unconcerned about the environments in which the state's citizens are being educated for the future.
Ultimately, the House and the Senate are entering the budget-making process with the laudable goal of improving higher education to increase the state's population of college graduates. Success in this endeavor, though, requires an approach that protects K-12 education, research programs and the institutional character of public universities. Only the Senate seems to recognize this fact, and those involved in higher education should hope that the final budget more closely resembles the view of that chamber rather than the view of the House.
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