2024 Iowa Legislature ends session with UNI funding hike and education reforms
The 2024 Iowa legislature adjourned early in the morning on Saturday, April 20 after working through the night to reach the finish line. Budget bills for the upcoming fiscal year and final policy priorities were debated in the final week of session. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has 30 days from the end of the legislative session to sign, veto or item-veto the legislation set to her desk.
The Legislature provided each institution governed by the Iowa Board of Regents with a 2.5% increase to their general funds, aligning with the increase provided to K-12 schools and many other areas of state government. The increase results in a $5.45 million increase to the University of Iowa, a $4.35 million increase to Iowa State University and a $2.48 million increase to the University of Northern Iowa. While the University of Northern Iowa did not receive the full $5.8 million requested to hold tuition flat for the next academic year, the increase in funding will help us to continue our mission of providing an affordable, high-quality education to Iowa families and students.
In addition to the general fund increases, the legislature also appropriated status quo funding to University of Northern Iowa’s other line items. This includes $1.5 million to the Educators for Iowa scholarship program. The University of Northern Iowa has a strong legacy of providing Iowa’s public and private schools with educators. The appropriation will be used for scholarships to recruit students into the profession and to provide a stipend to teacher prep program students while student teaching.
The University of Northern Iowa continues to look for ways to expand the teaching profession in Iowa by eliminating barriers to entry and creating alternative pathways to licensure. This session, the legislature showed its support for this mission by codifying alternative licensure pathways offered by the regent institutions and increasing starting teacher pay across the state. The Regents Alternative Pathway to Iowa Licensure (RAPIL) program designed to bring quality teacher preparation to adult learners who have life and professional experiences to bring to today’s secondary students. The University of Northern Iowa also works to provide pathways beyond RAPIL. Through our UNI@IACC partnership, UNI has created 2+2 pathways in the areas of early childhood education and elementary education. Additionally, UNI now offers an online pathway for practicing teachers to become licensed as instructional strategist special education teachers.
UNI will continue to focus on building our enrollment, expanding programs for high-demand areas in the state and growing Iowa’s workforce. As you know, at UNI, we provide our students real world, hands-on experience enabling them to begin their careers after graduation and start making an impact from day one. We are thankful for the Iowa Legislature’s support of our institution and will continue to share UNI’s positive impact on the State of Iowa.