Sweet, Boccieri differ on GOP funding plan

Sen. Boccieri said YSU would be penalized under the Republican plan.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State University President David C. Sweet said he is pleased to see more state higher education funding in a House Republican budget plan, especially a proposal for STEM scholarships.
Just how the direct aid to colleges and universities will be structured, however, is uncertain.
State Sen. John Boccieri of New Middletown, D-33rd, was critical of the plan unveiled Thursday by the House Speaker, Republican Jon Husted of Kettering.
"I have real problems with the speaker's proposal. That proposal would hurt students in our area and not lift the structural penalties imposed on YSU under the [state] funding formula," Boccieri said.
The senator said he favors the funding plan outlined by Gov. Ted Strickland, which would require state schools to agree to no tuition increases in fiscal 2008 and a maximum 3 percent increase in fiscal 2009 in exchange for a 5 percent across-the-board state subsidy increase in 2008 (about 2 million for YSU) and a 2 percent increase in 2009.
Speaker's plan
The plan unveiled by Husted would allow schools to raise tuition by no more than 3 percent in fiscal 2008 and bar any tuition increase in 2009. In exchange, the state would give them a 2 percent subsidy increase in 2008 and a 10 percent boost in 2009.
The catch, according to Boccieri, is that the added money wouldn't come across-the-board but would be channeled through the State Share of Instruction funding formula.
That formula penalizes YSU because it has a larger percentage of undergraduate students versus graduate students, he said.
"Under the current formula, YSU receives an average 25 percent less per student than other state-run universities despite having the lowest operating costs," Boccieri said.
The state needs to reward schools like YSU that have shown efficiency of operations while maintaining lower tuition rates than other comprehensive state universities, he said.
The Republican plan released by Husted would put 100 million into scholarships for students seeking degrees in science, technology, engineering and math at public colleges and universities.
Sweet said YSU would be in an excellent position to take advantage of that program, having just created a STEM College that will begin July 1.
Boccieri said that STEM scholarships might be a good idea but that the problem is that the Republicans plan to cut social service programs to fund them.
The Republican plan is expected to be voted out of committee next week.
gwin@vindy.com