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THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, March 8, 2017……… Laying the groundwork for a more austere higher-education budget, the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday heard more than three hours of testimony on university spending and the use of foundations by the schools.
Committee Chairman Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, said that over the past decade, state funding for the 12-university system has increased by $1.4 billion.
“Do we really think, and there are 30 members of this committee, it is lack of funding? Or do we really think it might be some misappropriation of money?” Trujillo told reporters after the meeting.
Among the issues, the committee members questioned the transfer of more than $50 million in state funding from the universities to their foundations in the 2015-16 academic year. Similar amounts were transferred in prior years.
