With the Kentucky legislative session at a close, WKU’s anticipated drop in funding has been reversed by state legislators.
Entering the last two days of the legislative session, appropriations for higher education were expected to be lowered by roughly 4%, according to an email sent to WKU staff by Jennifer Breiwa Smith, WKU legislative council.
WKU was expected to lose just over $1.5 million as a result of the general decrease.
However, after “extensive discussion,” Senate Bill 197 was “repurposed as a budget cleanup bill,” and restored the appropriation to levels from the previous biennium. In an email to all WKU faculty and staff, WKU President Timothy Caboni said, WKU is “Thankful that the General Assembly recognized and affirmed the value of higher education through this funding decision.”
![[FILE PHOTO] Susan Howarth, Executive Vice President for Strategy, Operations and Finance, speaks about the university’s budget at the Board of Regents meeting on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.](https://wkuherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/ER3_7665-1200x800.jpg)
