2023 Legislative Session Wrap Up

The 2023 General Legislative Session is over, and the Utah Valley University community has reason to celebrate. Here’s a look at the appropriations acts that impact UVU.

   

The 2023 General Legislative Session is over, and the Utah Valley University community has reason to celebrate. Here’s a look at the appropriations acts that impact UVU.

Compensation

  • Salary and Benefits: House Bill 8 S1, State Agency, and Higher Education Compensation Appropriations includes funding to support a discretionary 8.75% general salary increase for higher education employees and parity with state employees for health and dental benefit cost increases.
  • Tuition Freeze Offset: In addition, a 12.5% increase in state cost sharing for degree-granting institutions was provided in the final appropriations adjustment bill ( 24, EAC Item 147and March 2, EAC Item 84) to help offset the costs of this year’s tuition freeze.

Growth and Performance Funding

  • Degree-Granting Institution Performance Funding: $35,000,000 in ongoing funding
    • Degree-Granting Performance Funding was appropriated one time in the fiscal year 2024 and ongoing in the fiscal year 2025
  • Degree-Granting Institution Growth Funding: $604,000 in ongoing funding

System Highlights

  • Targeted Workforce Development in Computer Science and Healthcare: $9,000,000 in ongoing funding
  • Public Safety Officer Scholarship Program: $5,000,000 in one-time funding
  • Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative: $931,300 in one-time and $1,167,800 in ongoing funding
    • The Behavior Health Workforce Initiative Funding is to be allocated to Utah Valley University, Utah State University, Weber State University, and the University of Utah
  • Internal Service Fund Rate Payments: $5,290,200 in ongoing funding

 Select Institution Funding Utah Valley University

  • UVU Lehi Campus for Health Professionals Renovations: $4,000,000 in one-time funding
  • Civic Thought and Leadership Initiative: $900,000 in one-time and $875,000 in ongoing funding
  • Native American Excellence Opportunity: $1,506,700 in one-time and $503,500 in ongoing funding

Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) Commissioner Dave Woolstenhulme said of this year’s legislative session, “A first review of primary appropriations acts reveals nothing short of an outstanding year for higher education funding.”

Steve Anderson, associate vice president of University Relations at UVU, echoed those sentiments.

“We are grateful to our Utah legislators for their volunteered time and efforts to distribute taxpayer dollars fairly and equitably,” Anderson said. “This year, we are fortunate to have received the funding to ensure the necessary growth and expansion of university programs and facilities, as well as the funding needed to help offset the burden of inflation on our employees and their families. We are grateful to everyone who worked tirelessly through the session to ensure that UVU’s story was told in what can be a very crowded forum.”

For more information on the session’s impact on higher education, visit the USHE webpage.

 
 
 

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