State regents seeking bigger budget, tuition increase

Wednesday, October 4th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Tulsa-AP) -- The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education will request an operating budget of close to $1 billion -- with an additional $150 million coming from the state and a tuition increase at state colleges and universities.

Most of the new money -- $84.7 million -- will be dedicated to the regents' Brain Gain 2010 initiative. The initiative is designed to increase the number of Oklahomans with a college degree.

That includes a five percent pay increase for faculty, money for new professors and additional incentives for faculty in high-demand areas.

The $966.2 million request for the 2001-2002 fiscal year is an 18 percent increase over the regents' current budget.

Higher education Chancellor Hans Brisch says students should pay a bigger chunk for their education, bud he didn't say how much of a tuition increase regents might seek this year.