Utah Board of Higher Education Approves FY 2027-28 Operating & Capital Budget Recommendation
Recommendation advances investments in workforce capacity, statewide strategic priorities, and institutional partnerships
The Utah Board of Higher Education today approved operating and capital budget priorities for fiscal year 2027-28, advancing recommendations to further resource employee compensation, address performance funding and growth needs, and expand technical college access, with significant capital investments supporting increased workforce responsiveness, among other statewide and institutional priorities.
“Utah’s public colleges and universities play a critical role in preparing students for the workforce and meeting the needs of communities and employers across the state,” said Amanda Covington, chair of the Utah Board of Higher Education. “This recommendation reflects those priorities while recognizing the state’s revenue environment, including through an unprecedented institutional capital cost-sharing partnership, helping to produce a fiscally sound, system aligned, and high-impact budget proposal for the coming year.”
The recommended budget includes $30.6 million in new ongoing system-level funding for priorities including enrollment growth, performance funding and Talent Ready Utah initiatives, among other needs. It also includes resources for employee compensation and mandatory cost increases, operations and maintenance for newly funded capital projects, and enhanced campus safety and security, pending additional analysis and forthcoming policies.
The Board also approved new capital development projects at Southern Utah University and Utah Tech University for added STEM and healthcare programming, respectively. The Utah Tech University project also includes a collaboration with the University of Utah for co-located stackable pathways and other joint ventures, bringing the legislative request down from nearly $110 million to $47.5 million.
Additional operating budget requests include funding to expand workforce-oriented program capacity across Utah’s higher education system, contingent on the availability of new state resources. The recommendation includes $4.3 million in new ongoing funding and $7.2 million in one-time funding for technical colleges to expand programs aligned with strategically important, high-demand occupations. For degree-granting institutions, the recommendation includes $19.1 million in new ongoing funding and $1.1 million in one-time funding to expand workforce-oriented programs, increase student placement opportunities and support initiatives aligned with critical public policy priorities as well as Board strategic goals.
The recommendation was developed through a collaborative process with USHE institutions and will serve as the Board’s request to the Governor and Utah Legislature for consideration during the 2027 General Session. Final funding decisions will be made through the legislative appropriations process.
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