Dec. 14—Leaders of the state’s public colleges and universities joined Higher Education Cabinet Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez last week in proposing a $1.4 billion budget for the agency in fiscal year 2026, with a focus on expanding college access and readiness, and to bolster career pathways in high demand.
The proposal, presented to the Legislative Finance Committee on Wednesday, includes a $186.5 million increase — almost 6% — from the current fiscal year.
Much of the increase includes appropriations for basic need and academic supports for students, employee pay hikes and efforts to build the workforce in high-demand sectors like health care, education, construction and social work…