The budget cut of 6.7 percent that Northern Kentucky University was expecting to receive is now only going to be two percent. NKU will also see relief from stimulus money that is heading to Kentucky.

‘The budget cut will still cost the university one million dollars,” Dr. James Votruba, NKU president said.

This is on top of the three million that was lost last year due to budget cuts.

Dr. Voturba said these cuts are manageable, but some things will have to suffer.
According to Votruba, high demand programs, such as nursing, business and informatics will suffer. Votruba also said that we can expect to see some pressure on some university services. The university also will not grow at the rate it has in the past five years.

Votruba was unable to comment on the specifics of the budget cuts because the official numbers haven’t come in yet.

In spring 2008 the Consensus Forecasting Group, a group that studies and predicts Kentucky’s revenue, forecasted a three percent budget cut for the upcoming fiscal year. In fall 2008 they met and determined’ the budget was worse than expected and another cut would be needed.

‘This years cut is anticipated soon,’Director of the Budget Office Ken Kline said,

According to Kline, the vice presidents have provided proposals’ covering multiple scenarios. The decisions are waiting for the final numbers to be passed down from the state.

In light of the budget cuts, NKU will see some relief, from President Obama’s stimulus plan.

In a press release from Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, the state is’ expecting about $924 million in stimulus money to go toward education. The first part of the money, $535 million, will be used to keep existing commitments to K12 and higher education. This money will also help hold down tuition. The rest, $389 million, is expected to go to Title 1, Head Start, technology, and school lunch programs.

‘NKU is expecting to get stimulus money, but hasn’t received (a statement) on how much it will be,’ Kline said.