Governor Proposes Modest Increase in Funding for Higher Education 

On February 22, 2007, Governor Jon Corzine proposed a state budget for fiscal year 2008 that includes a modest increase to The College of New Jersey’s base appropriation. Unfortunately, the governor's plan continues to phase out the Outstanding Scholar Recruitment Program, which had been a highly successful means for keeping New Jersey’s best students in-state for their college education. 

President R. Barbara Gitenstein said of the budget plan, “I am thankful that Governor Corzine recognizes the absolute need for increased support of higher education and am appreciative that he has proposed, despite the state’s significant financial constraints, additional funding for fiscal 2008. Higher education has gone without necessary and reliable support for more than a decade, and our colleges and universities will undoubtedly diminish in quality if they do not receive consistent and predictable funding going forward. The governor’s proposal is a step in the right direction, but it should be understood that the proposed increase will not cover anticipated new obligations from state-negotiated labor contracts or other mandatory cost increases.

“One additional area of concern is the continued phase-out of the Outstanding Scholar Recruitment Program, which has provided an extraordinarily efficient means for keeping our state’s best students in New Jersey. We are facing a shortage of nurses and highly qualified teachers, and the statistics show that OSRP was helping address those problems. The numbers also prove that OSRP has helped retain New Jersey’s top science majors, who are vital to an economy so linked to the pharmaceutical industry. Eliminating the Outstanding Scholar Recruitment Program will negatively impact our economy, our educational system, and the quality of life of New Jersey residents. I hope that New Jersey can find the means to reinvigorate its commitment to merit aid for high-achieving students.”

It should be noted that the governor's proposal will now be debated and amended by the state Legislature before a final budget is adopted this summer. TCNJ has created a state budget Web page that will be updated as new information becomes available. Please visit www.tcnj.edu/~ccr/news/2006/budget/StateBudgetFY2008.html.