On Monday, February 5, Governor Bill Lee released his proposed budget and presented the 2024 State of the State to the General Assembly. The Governor’s proposed budget and address outlined the Administration’s priorities and vision for Tennessee.
For the UT System, the governor proposed in the initial budget:
- $66.42 million to fund UT Chattanooga’s Fletcher Hall/Rollins College of Business
- $24.5 million for salary increases at academic campuses and institutes
- $22.74 million for five capital maintenance projects across the UT System
- $5.1 million through the state’s higher education funding formula for UT Chattanooga, UT Knoxville, and UT Martin
- $75,000 recurring to fund operating increases at UT Southern
- $18 million to support the Healthy Smiles Initiative, aimed at increasing the number of dentists practicing in Tennessee in partnership with the UT Health Science Center
In a year where resource constraints are felt across the board, the continued support for higher education from Gov. Lee and our state legislators is especially commendable. It underscores that the state of Tennessee values education and understands its role as a cornerstone for economic and workforce development. We look forward to continuing to work with the Administration and the legislature as they consider this budget proposal.
UT will continue advocating for our budget requests, especially our next top capital priority, a new Chemistry Building at UT Knoxville. UT Advocates can learn more about the project and submit a letter of support here.
