Hunter
05/07/25
The 2025 Iowa legislative session continues into overtime, as the House and Senate have yet to agree on the fiscal year 2026 state budget.
The Gazette reports one issue being debated is the higher education budget. While senators favor no increase to general aid to Iowa’s universities, the House version cuts general education support by the amount each university was spending on diversity, equity and inclusion.
However, the House also responded in part to the increases requested by the three state universities. They include $4 million for a University of Iowa program aimed at increasing the number of mental health workers in rural Iowa, and $1.5 million to establish a newly-legislated UI Center for Intellectual Freedom. There’s also a $3 million stipend for UNI so they can offer instate tuition rates to students from bordering states.
The House version would increase the UI’s general aid by about $5.6 million, about $3.2 million for ISU, and $3.5 million for UNI.
The Gazette also says while the Senate’s education appropriations proposal holds funding flat for Iowa’s 15 community colleges, the House bill offers an $8 million increase.