[{"_1":2,"_135":-5,"_136":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87,99,111,123],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6348399,"mediaKeyId","2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643","parentId",2242371,"title","Committee unanimously approves Feb. 4 minutes","audioSeconds",31,"startMs",5572000,"endMs",5603000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643&start=5572&end=5603","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643/thumbnail_5572000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6348399/Utah/Committee-unanimously-approves-Feb-4-minutes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348399-755028be127377d2adfb3d06346885e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771115295&Signature=kVIBX2RFyXcrvHAO099KjW5o-pegj99u2hRrFZverSlxhExUW-ngFVM~rsWnX7ZWdZQ3JCZW0djkdyceNKuNkttmZlnyBuWRyE1pAlEEsMmkwraKIBof9X7OiJM4IJ7qsAkkFOmj4Oo4JFxBkrJbW7hV4CCT2Mv9AQ6Hw~4XlnZvdfvyuWBwQTvvFdo~QMpSbjt5UNrkO6iUW4Zj2To8h1EwI4K9PReLnlUye7IHWhEP4OO0XqcqsAcKJWa~ZAXiYQ5l8zXmFSIi1NC9dCTaAB7l3kKxdTEobFBYTkoFslY05e-rELHYF5Qmz66xv7-85WHM~oWwv-UPZTWr0~-3mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Utah State Legislature","date","2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","article","With a quorum present, a member moved to approve the Feb. 4 minutes and the committee approved the motion by unanimous voice vote.

The transcript records the procedural motion and the chair's call for aye/ opposed responses; it does not record a named mover or a roll‑call tally. The clerk recorded the motion as \"passed unanimously.\"","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee - February 06, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved the minutes from its Feb. 4 meeting by unanimous voice vote on Feb. 6; the transcript does not record the mover's name or roll-call tally.","taxTitle","2025 Utah Legislature, Utah Legislature, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah","taxId",78171,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":46,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6348405,"Representative Monson requests funds to expand 4-H programming on San Juan County reservation",87,5690000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643&start=5603&end=5690","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643/thumbnail_5603000.jpg","/articles/6348405/Utah/Representative-Monson-requests-funds-to-expand-4-H-programming-on-San-Juan-County-reservation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348405-1032f72a4f938625cabf743760799e1f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771115295&Signature=RSjEu7WyOPIasM2tMg76bp71VynfEg8wJcWDXwG9PjQ6WgTkmMovkiqNsI6Ld2ubn1-Iy0Sw~~8YXsyk3NDZ94D09unrApza92Hb~N~M7b1NMylpg5TVpJDdZmesbJDVlZMM8x29~QXVhTKyzyB1wV3jX5VLRj0UYCxUkPFowJFAJP3p~K141iiPXcHfI9OB6CT6DbPQYEeR0EBRyol-qLQI-Tvu03c4FrA7psWwByXy3Z2RLvhUCREQpVXQSBCT8XXzza2tv7TeWcgzdqxqYsBZCQ-ymK8MChwxfQJBXFbsQ079NE7GPzi8fmOBsqA1f3WvqupC8UcwdZIypHLZdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Monson presented a request for appropriation on Feb. 6 to expand 4‑H programming into underserved portions of San Juan County, including tribal reservation communities.

The request would fund expansion of 4‑H services and programming the representative said already operate elsewhere in the county but are not as robust in the southern reservation area. Monson cited increases in youth mental-health challenges and food-security concerns, and said 4‑H activities can provide educational opportunity and social supports for children and families.

Why it matters: committee members briefly discussed community needs in remote areas and accepted the request to add it to the committee's appropriation considerations. No dollar amount was specified during the presentation.

Ending: the committee received the request for consideration in the committee's appropriation review process.","Representative Monson asked the subcommittee to consider an appropriation to expand 4-H educational services into the southern part of San Juan County (reservation communities) to support youth education, mental health and food-security efforts.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6348410,"State auditor shows higher-education cash balances rose since COVID; cautions on interpretation",1177,3600000,4777000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643&start=3600&end=4777","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643/thumbnail_3600000.jpg","/articles/6348410/Utah/State-auditor-shows-higher-education-cash-balances-rose-since-COVID-cautions-on-interpretation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348410-b9be1459b978217e2e2693a9ce11c030/orig.mp4?Expires=1771115295&Signature=bEkBBXbTobROej~DRyG~B~lewjL0IjDkui35ATK5F3Ao5rWaykvfAGXJHaEOXkJvKy8xCP-0KzB7zrkRPDWt-1lfnqws6kHK32kzQgC~7dglJsTV3v57vS~xCG5NHdpbe2DYRM3lkqBNKgTTr63jo59iD696Gpo-yTVKZkNmJfNQWFFrdBPe4oicKDl-K81oZj4ZBKB~thetlDn0cnl3ivIwaY7PMQ9JohBdcrRj3uqb-p60erw622-TQHWQfYu7bJgKsFQTvzD6McIqsIHN9o3Ry3R9Rz7~9VCB-igtVnmGi4~EdVKW4P~C8ogonDjNxVfVgSQDNKeRXOZDgiVd2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tina Cannon, the State Auditor, and staff presented an overview of higher-education financial reporting on Feb. 6, showing tools the auditor's office has published to help lawmakers and the public track university and college expenditures and cash balances.

\"On our website right now, we have 'How much does Utah spend on higher education,' and it's our portal taking those two sets of data and putting it into a useful format for the public to understand the overall,\" Tina Cannon said, referring to the auditor's Transparent Utah portal and the state's annual comprehensive financial reports (ACFARs).

Jason Allen and Alex Nielsen of the auditor's office explained the audit approach and the composition of institutional cash balances, and showed a condensed statement of cash flows for the University of Utah as an example. The presentation noted that operating activities, patient services (for medical centers), tuition receipts, endowment investments and state appropriations all contribute to changes in institutional cash balances.

Why it matters: lawmakers have asked whether universities hold large, unrestricted \"savings\" that could be used for other purposes. The auditor's presentation warned that answering that policy question requires analyzing multiple funds and legal restrictions; endowments and donor-restricted funds, capital project accounts and PTIF/investment balances may not be usable for general operating purposes.

Cannon said that across state institutions and agencies the auditor observed an overall increase in cash balances following federal COVID-era funding. She cautioned that some changes reflect temporary federal inflows and that investment valuations can fluctuate because of market movements (paper gains/losses) even when institutions keep assets for long-term purposes.

Jason Allen described standard audit stages (planning, testing by materiality, reporting) and noted the ACFAR combines many entities; the office also issues individual audited financial statements for each institution. Cannon and staff invited committee feedback on what additional breakdowns or visualizations would help lawmakers and said the auditor's office can prepare similar condensed cash-flow summaries for other institutions though compiling statewide, institution-level analyses is staff- and time-intensive.

Ending: the auditor's office encouraged the committee to treat the published dashboards as a starting point for policy discussion and to recognize accounting constraints and donor or legal restrictions when weighing options for use of institutional funds.","State Auditor Tina Cannon and staff reviewed ACFAR and Transparent Utah data for higher education, showing rising cash balances at institutions since the COVID-era infusions and recommending careful, multi-line analysis rather than single-account metrics when evaluating university savings and reserves.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6348415,"Legislative analysts propose five‑year accountable budget review for higher education",478,2658000,3136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643&start=2658&end=3136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643/thumbnail_2658000.jpg","/articles/6348415/Utah/Legislative-analysts-propose-fiveyear-accountable-budget-review-for-higher-education","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348415-f25209349e3e2f619c8281d71529bb59/orig.mp4?Expires=1771115295&Signature=VfGOHDVdZKMqTLiQtfW4iS-OuXZwnwU~nzKe0kRsFdzt8nnZAFeL90swANUsKBig7ZbKuepW-EMXTR4-6782GeZLSagtPb3wTnQieW7GMz0t4A47eEmhHIHXEcXHfAHUDZ-MnI~vYDopKEJnsbqqddnxZZBAF52mNlwRswQ34rFzA6bGhgMaSg8zn0siBx1L4DAUCHFRzpQ4hpXljVXS2hrTEJCCpjO-a5JytvckIv~sB3ACfPG1tZQGbWuu4GDJOuvYl1HxOxboP-ad5HLCgx8EvCZ5othCdRo3mHU2OThFsAIhlI97G6VUxmx13ErzGjEWUonf1l4MDR~Rr3YKvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Joseph, the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, presented the subcommittee with a recommended five-year plan for the accountable budget review required by joint rule and asked members to review it before a formal vote during budget prioritization next week.

\"20% is not really defined as saying dollar amount or institutions or whatever,\" Joseph said, explaining that the joint rule requires the subcommittee to review roughly 20% of the budget each year over a five-year cycle and that the interpretation is flexible.

Joseph recommended using NACUBO (the National Association of College and University Business Officers) expenditure categories as a consistent way to divide reviews. The plan proposes: year 1 — instruction (teaching); year 2 — student-related support (academic support, scholarships and student services); year 3 — institutional support (president's office, finance, operations and maintenance); year 4 — other missions (research, public service, museums, festivals); and year 5 — the board and commissioner's office and system programs.

Why it matters: the accountable budget process aims to give legislators a repeatable, transparent method to examine base budgets, compare institutions, and evaluate how appropriations support core educational outcomes.

Committee members asked clarifying questions during the presentation. Senator Kwan asked for a clearer definition of the \"access\" performance metric used in the system scorecard; Joseph explained the metric is measured as the share of Utah high school graduates enrolling in postsecondary education within three years and that institutional numbers are the share of regional high school graduates enrolling in the particular institution.

Joseph said the new five-year cycle starts this interim and that the subcommittee will vote on an official plan during next week's budget prioritization meeting. He also noted that previous cycles used multiple LFA staff and that the updated standardized appropriation structure will help make inter-institution comparisons easier.

Ending: the subcommittee did not adopt the plan at the meeting; members were asked to review the recommendation and prepare to vote during scheduled budget prioritization sessions next week.","The Legislative Fiscal Analyst presented a five-year plan for the subcommittee's accountable budget reviews, recommending a year-by-year focus (instruction; student services; institutional support; other missions; board/commissioner) and use of NACUBO categories to standardize oversight.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6348420,"Dixie Technical College tells committee growth is main challenge, requests trades building",767,1628000,2395000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643&start=1628&end=2395","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643/thumbnail_1628000.jpg","/articles/6348420/Utah/Dixie-Technical-College-tells-committee-growth-is-main-challenge-requests-trades-building","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348420-d38f60ce3c392069922c626aeb92a670/orig.mp4?Expires=1771115295&Signature=XQl0xQOr8XwZ8yzdSyyTjnsIyiNhw56NFghv7bK72rQxdRISb8wRzIXQa8AKRBNpKFYCOLXA1cDy6jaUTeWM-Hpd6TLcGldnSjk~2N640mjmRAUApxfJunhsOezu6r3jVp8QpEPMTXtEQfBPuwL5ZI~aWv8s-N8XkpC8VaG5Imzzt7HrGH2GEF-Prh1HzB8rNyu7bWn9CJgoUAv3RvFJDMMFTrh9QbvPBIrOo0RGozcxhPISaXm63m7gEHtIxvkkarbSqDjXuyclhCpEzGiLF5NDtCaifFDfIAejbiXEN72iRKCPnyJdch2SndK3cjAWNJbYni-M0V-sp6GN~0e4Cw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","President Russin, president of Dixie Technical College, reported Feb. 6 that the college is experiencing fast growth in full-time equivalents and awards and that the main institutional challenge is accommodating demand for programs.

\"The biggest challenge right now is growth and, trying to figure out how to accommodate students that want to get into our programs,\" Russin told the committee, adding that some students are told to \"come back in 3 months\" or longer because programs are full.

The Legislative Fiscal Analyst, Joseph, presented budget context showing Dixie is among the smaller technical colleges by headcount but has outpaced the system in budget growth since 2020. Dixie officials said FTE better reflects campus work and that accredited high-yield programs — apprenticeships, nursing, diesel and automotive — make up much of the growth.

Why it matters: Dixie Tech leaders said continued growth and waiting lists limit the college's ability to meet local employer demand; they asked for growth funding and support for the board-approved consensus budget and named a new Trades and Technology building as the institution's top capital priority.

Details presented included steady increases in awards and graduates, a report of about $2.3 million in scholarships and grants supporting roughly 999 students, and year-to-date awards up about 20% over the previous year.

President Russin highlighted work-based learning and industry partnerships that place students in employment soon after enrollment. She described a recent case in which a high school senior who lost his father enrolled in HVAC training and began earning pay through a work-based placement within weeks.

Committee members asked about secondary (high school) participation; Russin said secondary students make up roughly 15–20% of Dixie Tech's headcount and the college is expanding offerings in four high schools and exploring outreach to the most remote schools in the region.

Officials said apprenticeship programs make up almost a third of Dixie Tech's headcount and listed top programs as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, welding and nursing, with diesel and automotive also high-demand. The college noted job placement rates above 90%.

Ending: Dixie Tech requested growth funding and support for a new Trades and Technology building intended to reduce wait lists and expand capacity for high-yield programs.","Dixie Technical College told the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee it has rapid enrollment and award growth, large waiting lists in high-demand programs, and a top capital priority to build a Trades and Technology facility to eliminate seat shortages.",{"_33":124,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":125,"_41":126,"_43":127,"_45":128,"_47":129,"_49":130,"_51":131,"_53":132,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":133,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":134,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6348424,"Southwest Technical College cites enrollment growth, seeks capital funding as programs expand",1052,52000,1104000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643&start=52&end=1104","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2242371-391eb599f155bcccd61b841202471643/thumbnail_52000.jpg","/articles/6348424/Utah/Southwest-Technical-College-cites-enrollment-growth-seeks-capital-funding-as-programs-expand","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348424-414c1e5f4f6a509949009425e5e998b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771115296&Signature=aohhYkNwbD3s2T~xIjsPhexpvvwte3-nYrW~~7WT81iEWKwSEUtogtpt4ZEQAwotcS86IGOUnzM8v0pw7bU7BAd6hZH~oQ0HMeTMLXlwW~PnNYdeQ7WkagCh5kwszmvdIFQfYkIpVbYEn6lQNTqST58q7GRDgtv8SkzCnrdkvuV6bcTZaJ7BPLMExoBdojTnJXXgoZo2zqpW2KC4a4aUUMw--E3RrBXUJ~zphL9-Klvb9EMYwZ9loLBrhRtpivvDdwsGY5wRPbvIPVtmDmXa73oJjqZk64uHDGBJf~rVvxSLCXbARhgwIezkhoY2KBjr1baOSpCXVlw7ucQCe2fz~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","President Wood, president of Southwest Technical College, told the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee on Feb. 6 that the college has experienced notable enrollment growth across Beaver, Garfield, Iron and Kane counties and is preparing requests for capital development.

\"Let's be real, right? This this is this is the truth. Technical education is a first choice option,\" President Wood said, adding that Southwest Tech transfers credits to universities and participates in federal financial aid programs.

Southwest Tech is the second-smallest technical college by enrollment but covers the largest geographic region among the technical colleges in the state, the presentation said. Joseph, the Legislative Fiscal Analyst who introduced the college's budget overview, told the committee about funding and performance benchmarks and noted that roughly two-thirds of Southwest Tech's budget comes from state appropriations.

Why it matters: committee members and college officials said the college's expansion supports regional workforce needs — plumbers, drivers and medical technicians among them — and helps rural communities retain and develop local skilled workers.

Key points presented to the committee included completion and placement metrics above system benchmarks, steady year-over-year growth in tuition and appropriations, and a marked increase in secondary (high school) participation.

President Wood highlighted dual enrollment and donor-funded community programs that reduce barriers for adults and secondary students. He said dual-enrolled students have earned roughly 5,000 credits through the partnership and that dual enrollment pathways have resulted in SUU graduates who used those credits.

The president described a donor-funded two‑month community partnership program that enrolled participants the day it began; the donor covers tuition for participants who complete portions of the program (50% scholarship for half completion; 100% scholarship for nearly full completion), and the college reports the program does not count toward official headcount or membership hours.

Committee members asked how the college provides access across a wide geographic region. President Wood said the college partners with high schools to offer faculty, equipment and courses in local facilities, busses students into Cedar City for more intensive training, and is exploring a mobile lab that would cost about $500,000 to operate properly.

Senator Milner and others praised the college's work with Southern Utah University and noted that growth has strained capacity in certain high-demand programs, including nursing assistant training, which Wood said has grown about 70% in two years.

The presentation included performance details: roughly 400 FTE (about 5.53 students per FTE), 52% of headcount composed of high school students, about 300 federal financial aid recipients receiving over $1,000,000 in 2023, and updated IPEDS data showing retention and graduation rates rising from about 85% to 95% year to date, the president said.

President Wood said the college supports the system consensus budget request, with priorities on compensation increases and performance funding that the college believes will support additional student services and program growth.

Looking ahead, the college asked the committee to consider capital development funding within the next one to two years to support program expansion and additional facilities to reduce waiting lists.

Ending: committee members applauded the college's growth and partnerships and moved on to the next institutional presentation.","Southwest Technical College told the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee it has seen rapid enrollment growth across its four-county service region, is increasing completion and graduation rates, and is seeking capital funds and program money to expand workforce training and a planned donor-backed community program.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee unanimously approves Feb. 4 minutes

Representative Monson requests funds to expand 4-H programming on San Juan County reservation

State auditor shows higher-education cash balances rose since COVID; cautions on interpretation

Legislative analysts propose five‑year accountable budget review for higher education

Dixie Technical College tells committee growth is main challenge, requests trades building

Southwest Technical College cites enrollment growth, seeks capital funding as programs expand