Prairie Public Broadcasting

Funds sought for Oklahoma universities OKLAHOMA CITY (KOSU) - Higher education officials are pleading for a $2.8 million emergency appropriation to make bond debt payments and head off college budget cuts.
Officials say summer courses will have to be reduced if the money is not forthcoming soon from the Legislature. They say they will have to reduce the number of instructors, counselors and cut research programs, among other things.
Higher Education Chancellor Glen Johnson says the total amount of the shortfall for the current fiscal year is $8.8 million, but officials anticipated it and set aside $6 million to make bond debt
payments.
Johnson says the shortfall is tied to the failure of the state lottery to bring in as much money as expected.
He says lawmakers need to appropriate the $2.8 million in the next couple of weeks or colleges will have to begin making cuts.
His comments came at a news conference on Wednesday.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) © Copyright 2012, KOSU