MOHELA board supports $350M funding plan

The MOHELA Board of Directors approved the plan 4–2, according to spokesman Will Shaffner. Those who opposed the plan disagreed with the direction of MOHELA dollars, he said.

“They felt that might not be the best use of the funds from MOHELA,” Shaffner said. “They believed that the money should go to, maybe, other projects besides buildings.”

The plan was initiated by Blunt in January and has MOHELA distributing $350 million during the course of six years to the Missouri Development Finance Board. The finance board, which approved the plan unanimously Sept. 19, would then provide $335 million of the funding for capital improvement projects at higher-education institutions and $15 million for student scholarships.

Blunt issued a statement following yesterday’s vote commending the board for its action.

“Given the board bi-partisan support for the initiative, I am confident the General Assembly will move quickly to approve this cooperative agreement, since it mirrors the plan they considered in the closing days of the last legislative session,” he said in the statement.

The General Assembly will convene next year and has final say on the plan.