NU President Carter Comments on Signing of Budget Package With Key University Investments

Gov. Pete Ricketts on Thursday signed the state’s mid-biennium budget package, clearing the way for key investments in student financial aid and water research at the University of Nebraska.

The governor’s approval also means the university’s state funding for 2020-21 will not be reduced. The state’s support will allow for a two-year tuition freeze across the NU system for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.

NU President Ted Carter thanked Ricketts for his support, and commended the chancellors and their leadership teams for their work in helping to share stories of the university’s work and impact with elected leaders and all Nebraskans.

“In signing the budget package today, Governor Ricketts has sent an important message about the value of higher education to Nebraska’s growth and success,” Carter said. “The investments in student financial aid and water research will benefit our state well into the future.

“I am especially grateful for the governor’s leadership in creating the Nebraska Career Scholarships program, which will expand opportunities for young people to pursue a college education and get great-paying jobs right here in Nebraska. This is a good day for the university’s 51,000 students, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with Governor Ricketts to grow our state.”

The budget package includes the following:

• $2 million to the University of Nebraska in 2020-21 as part of a new Nebraska Career Scholarships program that was included in the governor’s budget proposals at the start of the legislative session. The program would invest a total of $16 million over the next four years in scholarships for students pursuing degrees in high-demand fields like engineering, healthcare, mathematics and information technology. Half of the total, $8 million, would be allocated to the University of Nebraska, with the other half split between Nebraska’s state and community colleges.

• $500,000 in recurring funds for research through the system-wide Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute.

• A $1 million increase in annual funding for the Nebraska Opportunity Grant program, the State of Nebraska’s need-based financial aid program.

The budget package had received final approval from the Legislature late last week, with 43 senators voting ‘yes.’ Carter thanked the Legislature for its support and the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, chaired by Sen. John Stinner, for advancing the budget package to the full body in the spring. Elected leaders are in the final days of the legislative session now, following a monthslong interruption forced by COVID-19.