SOUTHEAST TABBED FOR 4.8 PERCENT STATE FUNDING INCREASE

JEFFERSON CITY -- Funding for Southeast Missouri State University would rise 4.8 percent under the state budget approved Thursday by the House of Representatives.

Southeast is slated to get $50.38 million for fiscal year 2001, which begins July 1. The university was budgeted $48.09 million for the current fiscal year.

Southeast's share is part of a $1.15 billion budget bill for the Department of Higher Education.

The Senate will take up the various bills that make up the proposed $16.8 billion state budget when lawmakers return from their mid-session break March 27.

Without major changes in the Senate, state funding for Southeast will have increased 63.7 percent, or $19.61 million, since FY 1991. Southeast received $30.77 million that year.

For the upcoming budget year, Southeast would be slated to receive $45.14 million from general revenue, $5.17 million from lottery proceeds and $75,000 from the debt offset escrow fund.

Among the four regional universities, Southeast would get the third highest amount of state funding. Southwest Missouri State in Springfield tops that list with $87.35 million with Central Missouri State in Warrensburg second with $61.78 million. Northwest Missouri State in Maryville is last with $32.29 million.

All four are tabbed for comparable dollar increases of between $2 million and $3 million.

The overall budget for the Department of Higher Education would increase about 5.1 percent, or $55.5 million, over the current fiscal year. That would mark a 79.3 percent increase in department funding from 10 years ago, when the department got $641.3 million.

The department looks to get $960.5 million from general revenues, $4.3 million in federal funds and $184.9 million from other funds.