COLUMBIA, Mo. – Following the latest Missouri legislative session, University of Missouri officials shared their appreciation for Gov. Mike Parson and legislative leaders for another historic year of funding support. The elected officials set the core funding of the UM System’s four universities to approximately $488 million, an increase of more than $25 million compared to last year. This is the largest core funding in the history of the UM System.
“The University of Missouri System and our four universities appreciate the continued support of our elected leaders, who value investing in higher education as a vehicle for growth through innovative research, teaching, economic development and workforce enhancement,” said Michael Williams, chair of the UM Board of Curators. “Nearly half of our students graduate with zero debt, more than 93 percent of our students achieve their post-graduation goals and two-thirds of our graduates stay in the state of Missouri following graduation. The state’s unwavering support means we’re able to fulfill our mission to students and, in turn, our graduates are propelling the state of Missouri forward.”
As part of the UM System’s core funding, $24 million will support the university’s central land-grant mission; $101 million will help fund students who are pursuing their first doctorates in certain degrees, including dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine; and $80 million will support research and development operations.
In addition to the core budget increases, the University of Missouri-Columbia received funding to support multiple centers and projects. These include $5 million to support the Fisher Delta Research Center, $325K for the MU School of Law’s Veterans Clinic, $275K for the Greenley Research Center, and $120K for the Rice Breeders Association.
“We are grateful for the continued support and investment of Gov. Parson and legislative leaders,” said Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri. “Their investment in the University of Missouri System receives a 13-to-1 return as our university system generates a $6.5 billion annual economic impact on the state. Our researchers, with students working and learning alongside them, were issued 31 patents, and the UM System created or retained more than 60,500 jobs throughout the state. This support helps us champion excellence in shaping progress in education, leading-edge research and transformative innovation in Missouri.”
Additional capital funding comes from the Missouri Department of Agriculture with $25 million for the construction of an abattoir, or meat processing facility, that will be used for training and research and $43 million for the veterinary laboratories and animal hospital. These facilities will be located on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus. The Department of Economic Development is providing $16 million to Missouri S&T that will facilitate research on mining and refining of critical minerals.
From the Department of Mental Health, $5 million will support a grant to advance research and development of therapeutics and potential cures for genetically caused autism.
From the Office of the Missouri Attorney General, $400K will support the MU School of Law’s Family Violence and Criminal Prosecution Clinic.
American Rescue Plan Funding
In addition to the fiscal year budget, several projects were approved for funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Additional funding appropriated for those projects include:
As part of the MizzouForward initiative, MU received $52.3 million to support the university’s NextGen and MizzouForward initiatives, which will drive economic growth, attract industry partners and enhance MU’s status as one of the leading research universities in the U.S. Additionally, MU will receive $3.2 million for the MU Missouri Foundation Seed program, which was established in 1944 and serves as a connection between MU breeders and Missouri producers in an effort to maintain genetically pure seed stock.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City received $20 million for the construction of a clinical and teaching facility adjacent to its Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences buildings.
Missouri University of Science and Technology will receive $25 million for the construction related to Advancing Missouri’s STEM Education.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis received $20 million for the renovation of several campus facilities and the demolition of those with high capital needs inventory values to consolidate academic programs, reduce the campus footprint and focus critical operations of the institutions on the north campus.
MoExcels Projects
The MOExcels Workforce Initiative of the Missouri Department of Higher Education funds programs that facilitate development and expansion of employer-driven education, training programs and initiatives to substantially increase educational accomplishment. MOExcels funding, which totaled $4.6 million, was allocated to all four universities to support educational programs:
UMKC -– $1.5 million for Student Career Pathways
MU – $1 million for 4.0 Laboratory Development and Certification
S&T – $841K for Improving Workforce Diversity through STEM Education
UMSL –$768K for the Center for Behavioral Heath Practice-based Learning.
In total, including competitive grants and one-time funding, the UM System could receive up to $789.5 million in FY24