Some lawmakers are working to allocate $2 million more to Missouri Southern’s baseline fund for 2004.

The Missouri Senate approved its version of the fiscal year 2004 budget April 23. To balance the budget, the Senate adopted a two-tiered format that includes line items for each state department. In this version, the Senate allocated more than $1 billion to public colleges and universities. Each institution succumbed to the same across-the-board cut of 10.8 percent.

A baseline equity adjustment was made to the budgets of Southern, Missouri Western State College, Northwest Missouri State University and Southwest Missouri State University.

“Although Missouri Southern’s wasn’t the largest in numbers it was the largest percentage-wise,” said Sen. Gary Nodler (R-Joplin).

The Coordinating Board of Higher Education reported that these institutions have been underfunded in the past. The increases in funding were based on the CBHE’s recommendations. Southern’s baseline was increased by $2,327,209, making it $21,548,228. After the Senate’s budget cut of 10.8 percent the College would be appropriated $19,221,019 for FY 2004.

“It (the extra funding) would help a lot obviously,” said College President Julio León. “We’re very pleased Sen. Nodler has managed to arrange for that. But there’s still two weeks to go and anything can happen.”

The Senate also passed a revenue enhancement package April 30 that gave the budget $200 million more to work with. Around $35 million will go toward higher education.

León said although the extra funding would help, the College won’t base tuition on it until it has been finalized.

“We certainly have to wait and see what transpires,” he said. “There’s just too many issues between the House and the Senate, and they both have different approaches to what should be done.”

The Senate has passed the bill to include the changes to the College’s baseline budget. If the House passes it and Gov. Bob Holden signs the bill, Missouri Southern’s funding formula will be changed for years to come.

“Even if this doesn’t change the numbers Southern receives this year, it will make it higher for years to come,” Nodler said. “So basically what we’ve got is a CBHE policy endorsed by the Missouri Senate.”

He said he believes the governor agrees with the CBHE’s recommendation.

León said most universities have come down to making an educated guess when it comes to raising tuition.

“We haven’t decided yet (on tuition), because we still have one more week to go,” he said. “We hope to then have a clearer picture of which way to go. What we’ll most likely do is take some action and yet leave the door open for further review later in the summer.”

When it comes to how much tuition will increase, León said, “There have been no talks whatsoever.”

He said he doesn’t think the missing tuition cost in the fall 2003 enrollment book has affected pre-enrollment figures. León believes there are many other causes to the fluctuation in pre-enrollment.

“Ideally, you would want the students to know what tuition is going to be so they have a better idea about what their financial packages can be,” he said. “Almost all institutions in the state are waiting the same way we are, or they have just made their decision recently.”