Governor Bill Lee introduced his amended proposed budget for fiscal year 2021-22 today, which includes exciting news for the University of Tennessee. Along with the key UT investments the Governor proposed in February, the budget amendment adds additional funds for UT priorities.
Notable investments include:
- Roughly $2.2M recurring to fulfill UT’s request for 32 additional agriculture extension agents. This funding will restore UT extension agents in rural, distressed counties to support Tennessee families and agriculture.
- $4M recurring to support graduate medical education in Tennessee. The allocation will fund new medical residency slots in high-need areas of the state and benefit in-state medical students, keep students in Tennessee for their residency, and increase access to healthcare, particularly in the areas of family medicine, general pediatrics, and psychiatry.
In addition, there are several grant and scholarship opportunities to support UT students and programs. This includes $25M to permit increases in the HOPE Scholarship and $1M to support engineering scholarships for minority students at public Tennessee universities.
Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Butch Eley presented an overview of the revised budget to both Senate and House Finance, Ways, and Means Committees today, allowing members to ask questions about the budget and the budget amendment. The legislature will consider the Administration’s proposed budget in the coming weeks. Advocates can view the full budget amendment here.
