Posted on March 26, 2006
Included in the Virginia General Assembly’s 2007-08 school year budget is a significant increase in funding for higher education.
The assembly approved a series of increases, including $1.6 million in base adequacy and enrollment growth funding.
“After approval by the Governor, the university will receive the base adequacy and enrollment growth funding in the fiscal year 2007-08,” University Spokesperson Don Egle said.
JMU is given a fixed amount by the General Assembly every year.
According to Egle, funding methodologies can slightly vary annually and between legislative bodies, but one of the major determining factors is enrollment growth. The enrollment targets in place for the 2007-08 academic year were taken into account by the General Assembly in deciding how much funding to allot Virginia Schools.
“The general fund allocation was based on a comparison of projected full-time equivalent in-state enrollment and actual enrollments,” Egle said. In order to uphold its academic standards with the projected student increase, $1.6 million was recommended for JMU.
The governor has yet to make a final decision, which means the amount of money JMU receives may change.
The General Assembly stipulated that JMU keep tuition prices moderated if it is granted the money. Along with this, the Assembly approved more than $600,000 to be allotted for financial aid.
“The increase in state funding for financial aid is specifically targeted for allocation to the students with the most need,” Egle said.
Junior Sarah Bordeaux is pleased with JMU efforts.
“It’s good to hear that JMU is being conscious of their students’ financial needs,” she said.
Since this may not be the exact amount the university receives, JMU has not made any permanent plans concerning what it will do with the money. The General Assembly will also make specifications as to where the money will go.
“Last year, that amount was not known until July,” Brad Barnett, senior associate director of Financial Aid and Scholarships said, “And more about the situation will not be known until then.”
