Dear Colleagues:

Following is an email we sent to the students today.  I will be discussing the withholding, as well as the 9% reduction to our FY 2018 budget, and our plans to address them at the All-University Meeting on Wednesday, February 15.  I hope to see you there.

Best regards,

Sue

 

SUBJECT:  Spring 2017 Surcharge

Dear Students:

As you may know, we learned recently that tax revenues for 2016-2017 in the state of Missouri did not meet the projected level needed to support the state’s many publicly funded programs, including higher education.  Missouri’s Constitution mandates a balanced budget, so the Governor was required to reduce spending.  On January 16^th, Governor Greitens announced that 8% will be withheld in core funding from every 4-year public higher education institution.  For Truman, this means over a $3.1 million reduction in our current budget.

In a campus-wide effort, all entities across Truman’s campus have been asked to relinquish already tight funds from their respective budgets to help meet the demands of this unexpected financial challenge.  Given the timing and the significant size of the budget reduction, Truman’s Board of Governors voted at their February 4^th meeting to establish a $50 surcharge for all full-time students (12 or more undergraduate credit hours; 9 or more graduate credit hours) for the Spring 2017 semester.  The revenue from this surcharge will cover approximately 8% of the $3.1 million budget reduction.

The surcharge is in addition to tuition and fees and will be required of all full-time students.  We understand this is an unexpected development and that the surcharge may pose a significant hardship for some.  A Student Surcharge Grant has been established to provide a limited number of $50 grants to assist students who can demonstrate payment of the surcharge will cause extraordinary financial hardship.  These Foundation-funded grants are made available through the generosity of Truman alumni and friends and are reserved for those who demonstrate extreme need.  The application for the Student Surcharge Grant can be found at http://wp-internal.truman.edu/financialaid/spring-2017-student-surcharge-grant/.  Questions about the surcharge and the student surcharge grant should be directed to Regina Morin, Vice President for Enrollment Management, at rmorin@truman.edu.

Thank you for your understanding.  We are in challenging times, but by working together and taking control of our own destiny, we can emerge with an even stronger Truman experience.

We are Truman!

Sue Thomas