McDonnell threatens to withhold VCU funds

Tracy Kennedy and Kate Lewanowicz

Contributing Writers

Gov. Bob McDonnell is threatening to withhold half of VCU’s state-allocated funding for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

The governor’s proposal comes in reaction to VCU’s 32.4 percent tuition fee increase for the 2010-11 academic year.

McDonnell threatened to halve the $34 million non-general fund appropriation to VCU for the next academic and fiscal year. This means that although the money has already been appropriated to VCU, they will not be granted the authority to spend $17 million of it, if Gov. McDonnell acts as announced.

VCU enacted the largest in-state tuition increase in Virginia last year after it raised tuition and fees by $1,700.

Other universities increased their tuition fees by nearly 10 percent. VCU increased tuition by 24 percent.

“Tuitions for Virginia students have doubled in the past 10 years, saddling kids and parents with more expenses and debt,” McDonnell said in a December speech. “This is unacceptable.” The speech was given before Senate and House Appropriations and Finance committees.

The governor reiterated those goals last week in his State of the Commonwealth Address on the opening day of the General Assembly’s 2011 session.

“College tuition has doubled for Virginia students over the past decade. That is unconscionable,” McDonnell said. He called on legislators to “implement major reforms and more accountability in higher education to make college more affordable and accessible for our students.”

McDonnell urged the General Assembly to pass the Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act, which is sponsored by a group of Republican and Democratic legislators. The plan would pump $50 million into higher education, which the governor said is “much less than needed to fund our base adequacy model, but a start in getting there.”

“The new dollars will be targeted to undergraduate financial aid and funding incentives for efficiency and economic development, technology, increased four-year graduation rates, year-round use of facilities and degree attainment,” McDonnell said.

“These actions will make college more affordable and accessible and create a better educated workforce and more jobs.”

Gov. McDonnell’s announcement is only word of mouth at this point, according to an official from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

What is clear, however, is that Gov. McDonnell does not like the tuition increase.

Many VCU students are up in arms about the recent tuition hike. Next Wednesday, Jan. 26, students have organized a “Rams Day on the Hill” to lobby against VCU increasing tuition.

Some students, however, are taking the tuition hike in stride.

“I had kind of been expecting it,” VCU senior Molly Boyd said. “As personally bummed as I was to be paying the extra tuition, I wasn’t surprised. I think it’s reasonable, especially compared to other state schools.”

At $8,817, the university’s tuition fees are close to the average in-state tuition rate for four-year institutions.

“VCU has cut costs to the bone over the past several years, so much so that the reductions undermined the quality of instruction,” VCU President Michael Rao said in a recent press release responding to McDonnell’s action.

“We are working constructively with the governor and lawmakers on this issue,” Pamela Lepley, executive director for VCU university relations said. “It’s premature to speculate on what might happen with tuition.”

Rao said the tuition increase was needed to make up for the $42 million budget gap created by the end of federal stimulus funding and a lack of sufficient state support. VCU received $12 million less in 2009 than it did in 2000, while enrollment at the university has increased by 35 percent. State funding for higher education in Virginia has overall decreased by 40 percent since 2000.

The governor will need to dialogue with the general assembly, according to SCHEV. The House and Senate budgets may either support or change the Governor’s decision to withhold funding. Once a final budget has been formulated, however, Gov. McDonnell will still have the opportunity to veto the bill.

“We will work tirelessly with the Governor’s team and General Assembly members during the session to resolve this budget issue in the best interests of our students, their families and the future of the Commonwealth,” Rao said in the press release.

McDonnell is also attempting to acquire $50 million for higher education funding and has outlined a plan to grant 100,000 degrees in Virginia through 2025. McDonnell is also seeking to revive the Tuition Assistance Grant program, which helps offset some of the tuition in-state students pay to private, nonprofit colleges in Virginia. CT

For more information about “Rams Day on the Hill,” visit the SGA-created Facebook event.