INVESTING IN ARIZONA’S STUDENTS

The first job of the Arizona Board of Regents is to help ensure Arizona students and families have access to an affordable, quality higher education at our public universities. The board applauds Governor Doug Ducey and legislators for delivering a state budget that makes important investments in public higher education. 

The state budget continues to support the board’s resident-student funding model, which will help increase access and affordability. A strong system of public higher education cannot exist without an equally strong K-12 system. The future of university students – and their success at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona – will depend in large measure on their preparation within the K-12 system. The board recognizes and appreciates that K-12 education was the central focus of this budget package.

Realizing that the state has an interest in educating Arizona’s resident students for the future when the majority of jobs in the state will require education past high school, the board’s funding model proposes a multi-year goal of splitting the cost of educating resident students with the state. The Arizona Board of Regents student funding model directs state dollars toward Arizona’s resident students and has proposed the model to provide financial stability and allow the universities to make multi-year tuition plans. As recently as 2008, the state funded approximately 72 percent of the cost to educate resident students. Current state funding is about 34 percent. Every dollar that the board receives from the state helps keep costs down for students and families.