U of Minnesota president makes final pitch to lawmakers

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler has made his final pitch for a funding hike to state lawmakers.

Kaler steps down in July. He appeared at the state Capitol on Wednesday to outline the university’s request for a baseline funding boost of $87 million, an almost 7 percent increase from the two-year, $1.3 billion base the university regularly gets from the state. He also asked for $232 million in capital funding, mostly for refurbishing aging facilities.

Kaler calls the increase “modest” but says the additional state dollars would help the university hold a tuition hike for undergraduates on its Twin Cities campus to about 2 percent.

The additional baseline money would go toward employee pay raises, upgrades to classrooms and research equipment, and compliance with state and federal regulations.