Blunt details funding increases in education plan

The increase would bring funding for the Access Missouri Scholarship program to $100 million for the 2008-09 school year – four times the funding available four years ago, according to a Blunt news release.

Scholarship funding is one element of a comprehensive higher education plan Blunt pledges to recommend for next year’s budget.

Blunt is calling for an additional $40 million in direct funding for schools, a 4.4 percent increase from last year. That would mean a $3.6 million increase in funding for MSU.

The governor also will recommend $1 million in capital improvements funding to support MSU’s joint engineering program with University of Missouri-Rolla, as well as $13.4 million to support expanding health care programs throughout the state. The health program funds will create opportunities for an additional 171 students in health-related fields at four-year schools and an additional 146 students at two-year schools.