At the May 31 meeting, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education allocated state appropriations for the state system of higher education for FY25, pending enactment of SB 1125, and expressed their gratitude for the multi-year funding intended to help address deferred maintenance at public higher education institutions.
“We thank our legislators and Gov. Stitt for investing in Oklahoma’s future, including a substantial investment to meet deferred maintenance needs at our colleges and universities,” said State Regents’ chair Jack Sherry. “The state system’s FY25 budget directly aligns with our priorities – to offer an exceptional higher education opportunity at an affordable cost while producing the graduates required to meet our state’s most pressing workforce needs.”
Institutional operating allocations for FY25 include continuing targeted investments in workforce development initiatives in high-demand fields such as engineering, computer science, nursing, other STEM disciplines and teacher education. State Regents received $19.9 million in state appropriations, representing a 1.99% increased investment by legislators and the Governor over FY24.
“Demand for an educated workforce continues to grow. More than half of Oklahoma’s 100 critical occupations – and all of the highest paying jobs – require a college degree,” said Chancellor Allison D. Garrett. “This investment in public higher education empowers our state system to continue driving economic growth and helping Oklahomans achieve their dreams.”
State Regents also prioritized funding to address increasing campus property and casualty insurance premiums and for financial aid and scholarship programs to support college degree completion.
For public colleges and universities, the next step in the budget process is to formulate their operating budgets for FY25. Following approval by institutional governing boards, the State Regents will consider these proposed operating budgets at the June 27 meeting.