Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that reduces the operational funding budget for higher education institutions in Michigan.

Highlights:

• Reduces the gross appropriation to higher education in Michigan by $60 million for FY 2026 and restructures the sources of allocation (Sec. 236):

• Increases appropriations for Central Michigan University by $26 million;

• Increases appropriations for Eastern Michigan University by $23 million;

• Increases appropriations for Ferris State University by $17 million;

• Increases appropriations for Grand Valley State University by $24 million;

• Increases appropriations for Lake Superior University by $4 million;

• Reduces appropriations for Michigan State University by $56 million;

• Increases appropriations for Michigan Technological University by $15 million;

• Increases appropriations for Northern Michigan University by $15 million;

• Increases appropriations for Oakland University by $18 million;

• Increases appropriations for Saginaw Valley State University by $9 million;

• Reduces appropriations for the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor by $234 million;

• Increases appropriations for the University of Michigan Dearborn by $8 million;

• Increases appropriations for the University of Michigan Flint by $7 million;

• Increases appropriations for Wayne State University by $57 million;

• Increases appropriations for Western Michigan University by $34 million; and

• Amends various other funds and payments.

• Amends appropriations for capital projects across the aforementioned universities (Sec. 236).

• Authorizes the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Education to spend up to $3,000 annually from the Michigan Achievement Scholarship for scholarship-related awareness and education (Sec. 236).

• Authorizes the Michigan budget director to withhold 5% of a public university’s monthly operations installments until the university is compliant with existing HEIDI data reporting requirements (Sec. 241).

• Expands universities’ performance metrics to include four, five, and six-year graduation rates and the percentage of students to remain in Michigan post-graduation (Sec. 241).

• Requires that universities make the following information available on their websites and authorizes the director to take certain enforcement actions (Sec. 241):

• The residence and salary of the president;

• The title and salary of all employees working remotely;

• International student demographics; 

• The average salary and student loan debt of new graduates;

• Information regarding the Michigan Transfer Network; and

• Certification that all enrolled students are lawful residents of the United States.

• Requires that universities report students who are not lawful residents to the director (sec. 241).

• Specifies that universities must comply with Department of Education rules concerning due process in sexual misconduct cases (Sec. 241).

• Repeals a provision limiting the tuition increase for resident undergraduate students to the greater of 4.5% or $735 (Sec. 241). 

• Prohibits universities from engaging in affirmative action as found in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College (Sec. 241).

• Authorizes the department to reduce the operations funding of a university found to have violated the aforementioned provision by 25% (Sec. 241).

• Prohibits universities from making expenditures on diversity, equity, and inclusion (Sec. 214).

• Authorizes the department to reduce the operations funding of a university found to have violated the aforementioned provision by 100% at the discretion of the director (Sec. 241).

• Prohibits universities from spending more than 10% of their appropriation on administration (Sec. 241).

• Authorizes the department to collect a sum equal to 50% of any funds spent more than the aforementioned limit (Sec. 241).

• Requires that the divisions of intercollegiate athletic activities shall be operated by universities solely based on sex as defined (Sec. 241).

• Authorizes the department to reduce the operations funding of a university found to have violated the aforementioned provision by 5% at the discretion of the director (Sec. 241).

• Specifies that universities may not segregate based on sex or race any space except bathrooms, locker rooms, and single-gender housing (Sex. 241).

• Authorizes the department to reduce the operations funding of a university found to have violated the aforementioned provision by 5% at the discretion of the director (Sec. 241).

• Expands Michigan achievement scholarship eligibility to include students who maintained residence in the state while attending an out-of-state high school (Sec. 244).

• Repeals the Michigan Achievement Scholarship Advisory Workgroup (Sec. 244).

• Amends an existing funding model concerning state competitive scholarship and grant programs such that a greater percentage must be paid in the first fiscal quarter (Sec. 244).

• Requires that universities consult with the department at least once per academic quarter regarding specific policies (Sec. 285). 

Full Bill Text