Arizona Legislature Approves $11.8 Billion State Budget

May 28, 2019
By State Relations

Summary

  • The Arizona Legislature approved an $11.8 billion state budget for fiscal year 2020 (FY20).
  • The FY20 budget appropriates the following to UA:
    • $9.5 million one-time for capital and operating expenses.
    • $8 million on-going to UAHS to expand the College of Medicine-Phoenix and to create tuition waivers for medical students.
  • The FY20 budget appropriates the following to ABOR to distribute to the universities:
    • $15 million on-going to Arizona Teachers Academy to provide tuition waivers for students who commit to teach in Arizona
    • $160,000 one-time to universities with adaptive athletics program
  • The FY20 budget appropriates $2.5 million for grants to applied research centers that specialize in blockchain, wearable technology, and automated mobility.
  • The budget clarifies the amount the state will receive when a university profits from a technology transfer agreement.

On Monday, May 27th at 10:43 pm the Arizona Legislature approved an $11.8 billion state budget for FY20. Over the last several days, the budget was held up over negotiations concerning a change in the statute of limitations for sex abuse victims.

The budget reflects many of the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), Governor Ducey, and UA priorities that the State Relations team spent five months lobbying. The first of these priorities is $35 million in one-time funding distributed among the three state universities based on the number of resident students. The UA will receive $9.5 million that can be used for operating and capital expenses. This is a $27 million increase from the FY19 budget, which appropriated $8 million to the three universities.

UA Health Sciences will receive an additional $8 million in on-going appropriations to expand the College of Medicine-Phoenix class size and to create a tuition waiver program for medical students willing to practice in underserved areas. This funding provides a unique opportunity for UA to partner with the state to solve the growing physician shortage in Arizona.

The state budget also provided $9 million to create additional physician residency programs. Although this funding does not directly benefit the UA, our medical school graduates will benefit from opportunities created by increasing residency programs in Arizona.

Additionally, $15 million in on-going funding was provided to ABOR to administer the Teachers Academy to all three public universities and the community college districts.  The Academy will grant tuition waiver scholarships ($5,000 for undergraduate; $10,000 for graduate) to students willing to teach in an Arizona classroom. The UA’s Academy is currently graduate students only, but we can participate in the undergrad program.

The budget provides universities with funding to support adaptive athletics programs and internships in Washington DC.

The budget created a $2.5 million grant program to provide funds to applied research centers and institutes that specialize in blockchain, wearable technology and automated mobility. 

UA worked with Tech Launch Arizona to clarify the amount the state will receive when a university profits from a technology transfer agreement.

The budget has been transmitted to the Governor and awaits his signature. UA State Relations will provide a detailed summary of the FY20 budget as it relates to our university and other relevant bills.

 

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