“Building Affordability” will improve higher education facilities and help maintain Missouri’s status as a national leader in holding down tuition hikes
ST. LOUIS – Gov. Jay Nixon today visited St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley to announce more than $5 million in improvements and renovations made possible through Building Affordability, an initiative proposed by the Governor in collaboration with public colleges and universities and passed with bi-partisan support in the General Assembly this year.
“Every dollar the state invests in these projects through Building Affordability is a dollar that our colleges and universities don’t have raise through tuition and fees,” Gov. Nixon said. “As a result, this $200 million Building Affordability initiative will provide students with the state-of-the-art facilities they need to prepare for the jobs of the future and help our colleges and universities hold down tuition.”
For the St. Louis Community College system, Building Affordability will provide $5,245,143 to make needed repairs and improvements at 19 science labs on the campuses of Forest Park, Meramec and Florissant Valley. These projects will enhance and modernize science laboratories by updating equipment, adapting to new advances in science and technology, and providing more student-centered learning environments.
At the Forest Park campus, projects include a microbiology lab, a physics lab, a chemistry instrument lab, and three allied health labs serving the dental technology and clinical technology programs.
At the Meramec campus, renovations include two physics labs, an organic chemistry lab, and two allied health labs for anatomy and physiology and the occupational therapy assistant program.
At the Florissant Valley campus, seven labs will be upgraded, including four physics labs, a microbiology lab, and two earth sciences labs.
“We are thrilled that Gov. Nixon and the General Assembly are continuing to invest in higher education and supporting these important projects at St. Louis Community College campuses,” said St. Louis Community College Chancellor Jeff Pittman. “By updating these science laboratories, we’ll be able to continue training students for in-demand careers, while strengthening our economy and furthering Missouri’s position as a leader in college affordability. This is a great day for our students, our faculty and our entire community.”
Building Affordability is a component of Build Missouri, a capital improvements initiative that will fund nearly 500 projects in every corner of the state through bond proceeds and other sources. Build Missouri includes bond proceeds for repairs and renovations at state facilities, veterans homes, state parks and higher education campuses, and for the completion of a new state-of-the-art mental hospital in Fulton, as well as non-bonding sources for other projects, including conservation areas, highway patrol facilities, and other facilities.
Through Building Affordability, Missouri is investing $200 million in higher education campuses throughout the state. These additional investments by the state will help colleges and universities make needed renovations and improvements to their campuses without raising tuition to cover the costs of these projects.
Over the past six years, the Governor’s administration has paid down hundreds of millions of dollars in state debt. Based on current projections, after the implementation of Build Missouri, state government will still have lower levels of state-issued bonding debt than when the Governor first took office.
Last week, as a result of a strong record of fiscally responsible budget management, Missouri’s AAA credit rating was reaffirmed by the rating agencies. This allows the state to benefit from low interest rates, and makes long-term capital investments more affordable.
The most recent report on pricing trends by The College Board found Missouri once again leading all 50 states in holding down tuition increases at public universities over the last six years.
