May 13, 2009

 

The State Office of the KCP Initiative continues to work with the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG) advocating for the continued funding of all six KCP Initiative Programs in the annual Higher Education Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2009-2010.  To keep you informed of our efforts we have attached the most recent information shared with DELEG.  Please review this information and the status update provided below and take the steps you believe are necessary to protect services for KCP targeted economically and academically disadvantaged students. 

 

Status Update:

All of you are aware that the Governor’s proposed Higher Education Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 eliminated all six KCP Initiative Programs.  The House of Representatives’ proposed Higher Education Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 put all six KCP Initiative Programs back into the proposed budget.  The Senate Higher Education Subcommittee has been hosting hearings and will conduct their last hearing Friday, May 15^th and then will prepare their funding recommendations for consideration.  Once both the House and Senate versions of the Higher Education Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 are available, a Conference Committee of representatives from both houses will be convened to work on any discrepancies between the two versions and develop the final budget recommendations to be forwarded to the Governor.  At this time, the Governor, State Budget Director, Department of Management and Budget (DMB) and the Legislature are investigating funding options for the Higher Education Appropriations Act for FY 2009-2010 that include a combination of State general funds and federal Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.  We have been told that an understanding has been reached to fund the three KCP programs supported in the base funding of the 15 public universities for Fiscal Year 2009-2010: the GEAR UP/College Day Program, the Future Faculty Fellowship Program and the Visiting Professors Program.  However, there is NO agreement on the three competitive grant programs: the Select Student Support Services (4S), Michigan College/University Partnership (MICUP) or the Morris Hood, Jr., Educator Development (MHED) Programs.  The House Fiscal Agency, the Senate Fiscal Agency, the President’s Council of State Universities, and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities believe the competitive grant programs should also be funded and do not agree with the Governor’s Office, State Budget Director and DMB that KCP’s competitive grant programs should be removed from the fiscal year 2009-2010 budget.

 

 

Pamela Ann Martell

Higher Education Consultant

King-Chavez-Parks (KCP) Initiative

Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth

201 N. Washington Square

Victor Office Center, 3rd Floor

Lansing, MI 48913

Direct Line: (517) 335-3009

Main Line: (517) 373-9700

Fax: (517) 373-2759

Email: [log in to unmask]