Calling it the best economic development tool for the state, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon reiterated his proposal for an additional $34 million in higher education funding during a stop in Springfield.
Nixon first made the pitch for the performance-based model during last week’s State of the State Address.
On Wednesday, he congratulated Missouri State University for achieving all five of its performance criteria, which focus on graduation and retention rates, test scores, efficiency and an institution-specific goal.
Nixon says he’s confident that the legislature will approve his proposal, considering the support from two and four-year institutions, combined with an improved economy.
“We focus on fiscal discipline. If the money wasn’t there I wouldn’t be putting it in my budget, if I didn’t see the trend lines that are clearly there,” says Nixon.
On Monday, Nixon released $8.5 million in higher education funding thanks to higher than expected state revenue collections.