Thursday, March 30, 2006

The Ithaca Journal (New York), March 29, 2006, Wednesday

The Ithaca Journal
March 29, 2006

Local colleges await word on funding increases
By KERRIE FRISINGERJournal Staff
http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060329/NEWS01/603290321/1002

Educators and advocates are applauding state lawmakers' recent decisions on higher education funding, but local institutions are waiting to see what it all means for them.
On Monday, the Assembly and Senate agreed to spend $269 million more on higher education in the next fiscal year than Gov. George Pataki had proposed. Lawmakers also called for $700 million above what the governor included in his budget for capital improvements on state and city college campuses.
A breakdown of those projects has not been finalized and Pataki has yet to sign on to the deal, but there stands a good chance that Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College would each benefit, according to lawmakers and school officials.
Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, D-125 Dist., said Tuesday that it appears that a $2 million request for a faculty wing at Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations will make it onto the list of capital projects.“I hope we can get more. I'm pushing for more for Cornell,” Lifton said. She is also advocating for support for a dairy center, construction on Martha Van Rensselaer Hall and other projects, she said.
Officials at TC3 have asked the state for $2.4 million in aid for master plan construction, but college officials on Tuesday were unsure of whether their request would be included in lawmakers' capital package.
“I certainly hope it's going to be there,” Lifton said.
Based on separate state agreement for private institutions, Ithaca College could qualify for around $2.28 million in capital matching grants, college spokesman David Maley said.
Two building projects on IC's drawing board are an athletics and event center, and a new building for the School of Business, for which there will be a groundbreaking in the next few months. Fundraising for that project is ongoing.
“So those are two building projects that are the furthest along,” Maley said. “We'll consider again when this comes to fruition, what would work best for our needs and matches the eligibility requirements.”
At TC3, it's too soon to say how basic operating aid will affect tuition, said college spokesman Bruce Ryan. The State University of New York had asked for an additional $250 per student to bring the state's share of community college funding to about one-third, but Pataki proposed a $100 increase. The Assembly and Senate met them halfway, proposing $175, which would put total funding at $2,525 a student.
For TC3, that would bring in about $560,000 in additional state revenue, but that number is only an estimate because it depends on future enrollment figure, Ryan said. For now, TC3 officials are crafting a number of possible budget and tuition scenarios for 2006-07, he said.
“We're feeling good, that it's a good budget year,” Ryan said.
On Monday, state lawmakers rejected a proposed tuition hike at four-year SUNY and City University of New York campuses. Students at Cornell's four state-supported colleges would not see a change, though, because Cornell sets its tuition independently of the SUNY system, said Stephen Johnson, university vice president of government and community relations.
At the most, that proposal would alter some of Cornell's cash flow, Johnson said.
“It's nothing to crow about,” he said.
On Tuesday, lawmakers moved on to discuss two remaining big-ticket items, tax cuts and aid to local school districts. The start of the new fiscal year — and their deadline to pass a budget — is Saturday.
Gannett News Service and staff reporter Anne Ju contributed to this report.Contact: kfrising@ithacajournal.com