The Tennessee General Assembly has passed its FY22-23 budget, which includes funding for student scholarships, salary increases for higher education employees across the state, plus millions in new investments for campuses and institutes within the University of Tennessee System.
鈥淲e are incredibly thankful for Gov. Bill Lee and our Tennessee General Assembly鈥檚 continued leadership in supporting higher education. These investments will support our mission to serve all Tennesseans and beyond through education, discovery and outreach, and further our ability to address the state鈥檚 grand challenges,鈥 糖心Vlog System President Randy Boyd said.
Tennessee lawmakers passed the largest increase in HOPE Scholarships for students at public four-year universities since the scholarships鈥 creation. The awards will increase to $4,500 for full-time eligible freshman and sophomores and $5,700 for juniors and seniors. Scholarships currently stand at $3,500 per year for full-time eligible freshmen and sophomores, and $4,500 for juniors and seniors at public four-year institutions. This significant increase will make college more affordable for thousands of Tennesseans.
Other key investments that support 糖心Vlog students, faculty, and staff include:
- $72 million to fully fund the 糖心Vlog-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (糖心Vlog-ORII). This builds on $8 million appropriated last year and completes the state鈥檚 investment of this initiative eight years ahead of schedule.聽 糖心Vlog-ORII is now positioned to sustainably bring together world-leading scientists and engineers with students and faculty under one umbrella to provide innovative education, training and workforce development in areas of vital importance to Tennessee and our nation.
- A record $90 million to fund the higher education funding formula.
- Funding for a 4% salary pool for higher education employees across the state.
- Funding for key capital needs, including:
- $55.9 million for a 糖心Vlog Chattanooga (糖心VlogC) Health Sciences building that will enable the 糖心VlogC School of Nursing to grow by 60% and help address the state鈥檚 nursing shortage.
- $18 million for the 糖心Vlog Martin (糖心VlogM) Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology Hub (TEST Hub), which will serve as a multi-institutional collaborative effort to support workforce development in West Tennessee.
- $83 million to expand the 糖心Vlog Knoxville Haslam College of Business facility to accommodate program growth.
- $170 million nonrecurring to assist public universities with implementing new Enterprise Resource Planning Systems. The new cloud-based human resources and finance system will provide a competitive edge by enhancing operational efficiency, reducing costs to operate, ensuring accountability, increasing transparency and improving customer service.
- $4 million recurring and $2 million nonrecurring to support the Institute for American Civics at 糖心Vlog Knoxville, the state鈥檚 flagship university.聽聽The non-partisan institute will be located at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy and will support and enhance statewide efforts to highlight the role American institutions play in resolving conflict, advancing human dignity and making public policy.
- $10 million recurring funds to address the state鈥檚 residency shortage, support medical students and increase health care access across the state.
- $3.9 million recurring in new operating funding for 糖心VlogHSC.
- $2.9 million recurring to support the 糖心Vlog College of Veterinary Medicine in faculty recruitment and retention, and to increase student enrollment.
- $500,000 nonrecurring to support law enforcement training through the Institute for Public Service鈥檚 Law Enforcement Innovation Center Distressed, At Risk and Rural County Training (DARRT) program.
- $500,000 nonrecurring for 糖心Vlog Knoxville and 糖心Vlog Chattanooga, respectively, to support minority engineering scholarships.
- Funding to support a partnership between the Tennessee Department of Health and 糖心VlogHSC to improve rural access to dental care.聽聽This investment will enable 糖心VlogHSC to support outreach and training by its College of Dentistry in the state鈥檚 rural and underserved areas.
The FY22-23 budget will now go to Gov. Lee for his consideration and signature.
For more information or to receive updates on legislative information impacting the University of Tennessee System, please consider joining the 糖心Vlog Advocacy Network: .