Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon today signed an appropriation bill for higher education that increases the state funding available to Missouri Western State University by about $250,000.

“The governor’s original proposed budget called for a 12.5 percent reduction to higher education, so this is a very positive outcome,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “It reflects the hard work of both the General Assembly and Gov. Nixon on behalf of Missouri’s public colleges and universities.”

The General Assembly sent Gov. Nixon a higher education spending bill that kept the base operating budget the same as it was last year, while including some additional “equity funding” for seven universities, including Missouri Western. Gov. Nixon signed the bill, but will withhold 1 percent of the base operating budget and 10 percent of the equity funding.

For Missouri Western, that will mean a loss of about $201,000 in the base appropriation, but a gain of about $451,000 in equity funding, or a net gain of about $250,000.

“As a state, we still have a long way to go when it comes to funding higher education, both in making up for some of the reductions we’ve had in recent years as well as tying funding more closely to enrollment,” Dr. Vartabedian said. “But this increase is certainly welcome and provides some relief for the coming year.”

Now that the state appropriation is known and tuition and fees are set, administrators will work on finalizing a proposed budget to submit to the Board of Governors at its June 27 meeting.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.