Gov. Nixon Announces Agreement to Keep Job-Training Programs Affordable for Missouri Students

Press Release

Gov. Nixon announces agreement to keep job-training programs affordable for Missouri students

Gov. Jay Nixon today visited the Springfield campus of Missouri State University to announce a historic agreement with Missouri's two-year, public institutions that will protect students from tuition increases next year and provide stable funding for vocational-training programs in Fiscal Year 2010.

Just two days after detailing a similar agreement with Missouri's public, four-year schools, Gov. Nixon announced that his FY 2010 budget proposal will include the same appropriation two-year institutions received in FY 2009, sparing them from the cuts they have often faced during difficult economic times. In exchange, the leaders of Missouri's two-year institutions have pledged not to raise tuition or academic fees during the 2009-2010 school year.

"Our public, two-year institutions play a vital role in preparing Missourians to take on the jobs of the future," Gov. Nixon said. "To turn this economy around, we must ensure that the job-training and workforce-development programs at these institutions continue to grow and that our students must have access to these educational opportunities. As Governor, I am committed to supporting all our higher education institutions, including four-year schools, community colleges and technical schools, in their efforts to develop a workforce that will make Missouri a leader in the 21st-century economy. This is an economic investment that will pay off many times over in the years to come."

With campuses in both Springfield and West Plains, Missouri State University offers a wide variety of educational programs and courses of study. The University's West Plains campus offers two-year, separately accredited degrees and has an enrollment of more than 1,700 students in both full- and part-time academic and job-training programs. The Springfield campus offers more than 150 undergraduate majors and 47 graduate programs that focus on the career success of the University's students.

"Each year, Missouri State's two campuses graduate thousands of students who are prepared to excel in high-tech, high-paying fields, including construction and technology management, health professions, education, information systems and the sciences," said Dr. Michael Nietzel, President of Missouri State University. "But because of the rising cost of education, too many Missourians don't have the opportunity to benefit from the education and training we offer. Gov. Nixon's innovative agreement ensures that higher education and workforce development will remain a priority for our state during these challenging economic times, and our students can be assured that they won't face a tuition increase next year. This agreement is a major step toward moving our economy forward."

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