Miss. colleges revise next year’s funding request

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The state College Board voted Thursday to seek a more modest budget increase than it originally discussed for upcoming fiscal year.

The board will submit a budget increase of nearly $43 million to operate Mississippi’s eight public universities for the year that begins next July 1.

Earlier, the board approved a plan to seek an increase of $260 million, around 33 percent above current funding levels.

The university system received $801 million in state money for the fiscal year that started just a few weeks ago.

The request for the coming fiscal year will be $844 million.