Higher Education-Related Events

On Jan. 23, elected officials joined higher education leaders in signing a resolution reaffirming their shared commitment to higher education's “core mission: to cultivate minds, foster discovery, build a civil society, and prepare students for meaningful lives and successful careers.” At the event, Governor Spencer Cox, House Speaker Mike Schultz, Senate President Stuart Adams, Board Chair Amanda Covington, Higher Education Commissioner Geoffrey Landward, Southern Utah University President Mindy Benson, and Dixie Technical College President Jordan Rushton gave remarks about higher education's focus on helping students thrive, disseminating knowledge, fostering discovery, and contributing to the health of our economy and civil society. Other Board members, institutional presidents, elected officials, and community members joined this collaborative event, which emphasized the importance of accessible, affordable, and high-quality higher education.

Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee

The Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee (HEAS) convened its first meeting of the 2026 General Session on Thursday, Jan. 22. The subcommittee heard presentations from the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education that covered:

• Select highlights of Board and Commissioner's office actions and achievements in 2025, including strategic reinvestment, advancements in shared services, a rigorous tuition and fee setting process, the phase three pilot launch of Admit Utah in the Provo School District, the operationalization of the First Credential initiative in collaboration with the Utah State Board of Education, and more.
• The Board's consensus budget processes and the System's operating and capital budget requests for the 2026 Legislative General Session.
• A summary of USHE institutional progress toward performance funding goals.
• An update on HB 261 (2025) compliance reviews.

The subcommittee also heard presentations from the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst regarding the higher education base budget, an overview of potential enrollment growth and performance funding model revisions, and the LFA's recommendations to the committee for reaching a 5% reduction target announced at the Dec. 2025 Executive Appropriations Committee meeting. The Commissioner's office, like all institutions and state-funded entities, was also required to propose 5% expenditure reductions and presented corresponding scenarios for both the Board line item and the System as a whole.

Upcoming HEAS meetings

All meetings begin at 8 a.m.

• Wednesday, Jan. 28
• Friday, Jan. 30
• Tuesday, Feb. 3
• Thursday, Feb. 5
• Monday, Feb. 9
• Wednesday, Feb. 11

Legislation of Interest

SB 1 – Higher Education Base Budget  (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Supplements or reduces appropriations otherwise provided for the support and operation of state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026 and appropriates funds for the support and operation state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. This bill will be heard in the Senate on Jan. 28 and in the House on Jan. 29.

SB 77 – Dual Language Immersion Amendments (Sen. Daniel McCay): Provides a new definition of "qualified instructor" and requires a USHE institution that offers an upper-division course in the Utah Language Bridge Program to ensure a qualified instructor teaches or co-teaches the course. If a USHE institution cannot provide a qualified instructor for an LEA in its service region, it requires the LEA to partner with a different USHE institution to provide an upper-division Utah Language Bridge Program course. Requires a USHE institution that offers an upper-division course under the Utah Language Bridge Program to ensure the course counts toward the related foreign language degree the institution offers. This bill has been assigned to the Senate Education Standing Committee and will be heard in that committee's 2 p.m. meeting on Jan. 26.

SB 107 – Education Legislation Advisory Commission Amendments(Sen. Keven Stratton): Creates an Education Legislation Advisory Commission to study education-related issues in the state and propose and provide feedback to legislators on proposed education-related legislation. Membership would include the Commissioner of Higher Education. This bill will be heard in the Senate Education Standing Committee during its 2 p.m. meeting on Monday, Jan. 26.

SB 118 – Mental Health Services in Higher Education (Sen. Jen Plumb): Codifies an existing ongoing appropriation from the 2022 Legislative General Session (was previously detailed only in intent language, not in State Code). Establishes that the institution may use the appropriation for mental health peer coaching programming or for other mental health resources at USHE institutions. Establishes specific requirements for peer coaching programming at USHE institutions. Requires the Board to administer and monitor the funds. This bill will be heard in the Senate Education Standing Committee during its 2 p.m. meeting on Monday, Jan. 26.

SB 152 – Public and Higher Education Collaboration (Sen. Michael McKell): Requires the Utah State Board of Education (K-12) and the Utah Board of Higher Education to establish and implement a process for disclosing grades 7-12 student data to UBHE and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to support secondary student engagement in college and career readiness programs and facilitate easier access to higher education admissions and financial aid. Requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to inform parents of their right to opt out of sharing this information with higher education entities. Requires compliance with state and federal data laws and requires higher education employees with access to grades 7-12 student data to be trained on federal and state student data privacy laws, proper handling and protection of student data, data breach prevention and response procedures, and authorized uses and disclosure limitations for data received under this part. Requires UBHE to make administrative rules in coordination with USBE. This bill will be heard in the Senate Education Standing Committee during its 2 p.m. meeting on Monday, Jan. 26.

Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee

The Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee (HEAS) met on Jan. 26, 28, and 30. The subcommittee heard presentations on institutional updates, performance, and 2026 General Session budget requests from the colleges and universities. Salt Lake Community College’s presentation is linked below:

• Salt Lake Community College

Upcoming HEAS meetings

All meetings begin at 8 a.m.

• Tuesday, Feb. 3
• Thursday, Feb. 5 (University of Utah campus)
• Monday, Feb. 9
• Wednesday, Feb. 11

Legislation of Interest

(PASSED) SB 1 – Higher Education Base Budget (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Supplements or reduces appropriations otherwise provided for the support and operation of state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026 and appropriates funds for the support and operation of state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. This bill passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor.

HB 352 – Higher Education Alignment (Rep. Karen Peterson): Requires the Utah Board of Higher Education to organize USHE institutions into regions that include at least one degree-granting institution and one technical college to facilitate more seamless collaboration through horizontal and vertical integration. Enhanced collaborations include examples such as ensuring programs are articulated and stackable, integrating admissions, enrollment, and student services between partner institutions, leveraging shared administrative services, and identifying ways to share select academic programs and research opportunities. Requires the Board to report to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee on the implementation of this section. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee on Jan. 30.

SB 118 – Mental Health Services in Higher Education (Sen. Jen Plumb): Codifies an existing ongoing appropriation from the 2022 Legislative General Session (was previously detailed only in intent language, not in State Code). Establishes that the institution may use the appropriation for mental health peer coaching programming or for other mental health resources at USHE institutions. Establishes specific requirements for peer coaching programming at USHE institutions. Requires the Board to administer and monitor the funds. This bill was assigned to the Senate Education Standing Committee but has not yet been heard by the committee as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

SB 152 – Public and Higher Education Collaboration (Sen. Michael McKell): Requires the Utah State Board of Education (K-12) and the Utah Board of Higher Education to establish and implement a process for disclosing grades 7-12 student data to UBHE and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to support secondary student engagement in college and career readiness programs and facilitate easier access to higher education admissions and financial aid. Requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to inform parents of their right to opt out of sharing this information with higher education entities. Requires compliance with state and federal data laws and requires higher education employees with access to grades 7-12 student data to be trained on federal and state student data privacy laws, proper handling and protection of student data, data breach prevention and response procedures, and authorized uses and disclosure limitations for data received under this part. Requires UBHE to make administrative rules in coordination with USBE. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Education Standing Committee on Jan. 26 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

SB 195 – Workforce Development (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Authorizes the Governor to delegate to the Board the authority to approve eligible USHE programs to submit to the Secretary of Education for consideration regarding participation in the federal Workforce Pell Grant program. Authorizes the Department of Workforce Services to provide wage record data to the Board. Authorizes the Utah Data Research Center to maintain a program to support data collection, analysis, and exchange with participating state agencies. Establishes the Statewide Youth Apprenticeship Governance Council to coordinate youth apprenticeship programs across the state agencies and education providers. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Standing Committee on Jan. 28 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the publishing of this newsletter on Feb. 2.

SB 216 – Higher Education Performance and Enrollment Funding (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Establishes a process and formula for determining certain enrollment-based funding for USHE institutions. Establishes new performance metrics and goals for performance-based funding specific to institutional roles and missions. This bill has been assigned to the Senate Education Standing Committee but has not yet been assigned to an agenda as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee

The Utah System of Higher Education’s Talent Ready Utah (TRU) presented an overview of its background; methodologies for identifying workforce priorities; initiatives supporting K-12 and higher education students and the incumbent workforce; and TRU’s state, national, and global partnerships. TRU also outlined its 2026 General Session request for appropriation from the Utah Board of Higher Education’s consensus budget, seeking $3 million ongoing for the Targeted Workforce Accelerator initiative to support growth and career readiness in the strategic sectors of energy, artificial intelligence, and deep technology.

Upcoming HEAS meetings:

All meetings begin at 8 a.m.

• Wednesday, Feb. 11

Upcoming Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee meetings:

All meetings begin at 8 a.m.

• Tuesday, Feb. 10

Legislation of Interest

(PASSED) SB 1 – Higher Education Base Budget (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Supplements or reduces appropriations otherwise provided for the support and operation of state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026 and appropriates funds for the support and operation of state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. This bill was signed by the Governor.

HB 279, 2nd Substitute – Higher Education Code Amendments (Rep. Val Peterson, Sen. Ann Millner): Includes private postsecondary educational institutions in certain sections of code that apply to public institutions of higher education and modifies provisions related to institutions of higher education participating in public procurement bidding. This bill passed in the House and has been sent to the Senate as of the morning of Feb. 9.

HB 352 – Higher Education Alignment (Rep. Karen Peterson, Sen. Evan Vickers): Requires the Utah Board of Higher Education to organize USHE institutions into regions that include at least one degree-granting institution and one technical college to facilitate more seamless collaboration through horizontal and vertical integration. Enhanced collaborations include examples such as ensuring programs are articulated and stackable, integrating admissions, enrollment, and student services between partner institutions, leveraging shared administrative services, and identifying ways to share select academic programs and research opportunities. Requires the Board to report to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee on the implementation of this section. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee on Jan. 30 and, as of the morning of Feb. 9, is on the House third reading calendar.

SB 152 – Public and Higher Education Collaboration (Sen. Michael McKell): Requires the Utah State Board of Education (K-12) and the Utah Board of Higher Education to establish and implement a process for disclosing grades 7-12 student data to UBHE and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to support secondary student engagement in college and career readiness programs and facilitate easier access to higher education admissions and financial aid. Requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to inform parents of their right to opt out of sharing this information with higher education entities. Requires compliance with state and federal data laws and requires higher education employees with access to grades 7-12 student data to be trained on federal and state student data privacy laws, proper handling and protection of student data, data breach prevention and response procedures, and authorized uses and disclosure limitations for data received under this part. Requires UBHE to make administrative rules in coordination with USBE. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Education Standing Committee on Jan. 26 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the morning of Feb. 9.

SB 195 – Workforce Development (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Authorizes the Governor to delegate to the Board the authority to approve eligible USHE programs to submit to the Secretary of Education for consideration regarding participation in the federal Workforce Pell Grant program. Authorizes the Department of Workforce Services to provide wage record data to the Board. Authorizes the Utah Data Research Center to maintain a program to support data collection, analysis, and exchange with participating state agencies. Establishes the Statewide Youth Apprenticeship Governance Council to coordinate youth apprenticeship programs across the state agencies and education providers. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Standing Committee on Jan. 28 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the publishing of this newsletter on Feb. 9.

SB 216 – Higher Education Performance and Enrollment Funding (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Establishes a process and formula for determining certain enrollment-based funding for USHE institutions. Establishes new performance metrics and goals for performance-based funding specific to institutional roles and missions. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 3 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the morning of Feb. 9.

Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittees

In the final week of Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee (HEAS) meetings, the subcommittee heard a presentations from the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education regarding higher education compensation processes, the USHE Campus Safety Task Force, System partnerships with public K-12 education, and plans for System integration.

Subcommittee prioritization and voting took place in the final HEAS meeting on Feb. 10, with key state funding recommendations in the following areas:

Reductions

• $17.3 million one-time from the Performance Funded Restricted Account
• $5.0 million one-time reduction from USHE state scholarship programs with net-neutral backfill from the FY 2027 Higher Education Student Success Endowment proceeds
• $9.75 million ongoing from degree-granting institutions’ operating budgets, with corresponding net-neutral increases in non-resident tuition revenue
• $500,000 ongoing from the Office of the Commissioner’s operating budget

System-Level Increases

• Compensation increases with intra-state parity (currently set-aside at a 2.6% cost of living adjustment and to maintain employee cost sharing for an 11.8% increase in the health insurance renewal)
• New ongoing performance funding of $16,649,700, with $6,000,300 of the unearned portion set-aside in the Performance Funding Restricted Account

Other Itemized Increases

• Twenty additional prioritized funding items, representing a combination of Board-approved System and institutional requests and legislator-initiated RFAs (refer to this presentation for a comparison of HEAS recommendations and the Board’s consensus budget requests)

Excluding compensation, HEAS recommended new funding actions total $22.34 million in one-time reductions, $10.25 million in ongoing reductions, $42.1 million in new one-time funding, and $32.3 million in new ongoing funding.

Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee

The Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee (TIAS) held its final meeting of the 2026 General Session on Feb. 10. TIAS key state funding recommendations related to higher education included:

Reductions

• $7.75 million ongoing from the Higher Education Capital Projects Fund
• $9.35 million ongoing from FY 2027 capital improvement funding, of which approximately $5.6 million would have been directed to USHE

Dedicated Capital Project Recommendations

• $14.27 million one-time for Salt Lake Community College Aviation Maintenance Building; $227,500 in operations and maintenance (O&M)

Other

• O&M proposed backouts for FY 2026 and estimated backouts for FY 2027

Legislative funding deliberations will continue with HEAS and TIAS presenting their recommendations to the Executive Appropriations Committee (EAC) in week five of the General Session.

Upcoming Executive Appropriations Committee meetings:

All meetings begin at 6:15 p.m.

• Wednesday, Feb.18
• Thursday, Feb. 19

Legislation of Interest

HB 204, 1st Substitute – Higher Education Student Belief Accommodation (Rep. Michael Petersen, Sen. Brady Brammer): For courses that an institution mandates for graduation or for an academic major, requires public institutions of higher education to reasonably accommodate a student’s objection to a required examination, assignment, or activity if the student requests an accommodation for reasons of the student’s religion or conscience and if providing the accommodation would not create a fundamental alteration of the course. Requires the institution to establish policies and articulate provisions that institutional policies must address. Requires an institution to establish a process by which an instructor must inform the institution of the instructor’s decision to deny a request for accommodation under this section and requires the institution to designate one or more neutral arbiters to review denials. Prohibits an instructor from compelling a student to publicly take or communicate a specified position on a matter of public concern as the student’s own. Requires the Board to ensure the protection of students sincerely held religious and conscience beliefs and provide guidelines for institutional policies and practices related to this section. Requires institutions to annually report to the Board on accommodation details under this section, including subsequent neutral arbiter reviews and decisions, and requires the Board to report certain information to the Legislature upon request. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the House Education Standing Committee on Feb. 4 and is on the House third reading calendar as of the morning of Feb. 17.

HB 279, 2nd Substitute – Higher Education Code Amendments (Rep. Val Peterson, Sen. Ann Millner): Includes private postsecondary educational institutions in certain sections of code that apply to public institutions of higher education and modifies provisions related to institutions of higher education participating in public procurement bidding. This bill passed in the House and received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Education Standing Committee on Feb. 12.

HB 352 – Higher Education Alignment (Rep. Karen Peterson, Sen. Evan Vickers): Requires the Utah Board of Higher Education to organize USHE institutions into regions that include at least one degree-granting institution and one technical college to facilitate more seamless collaboration through horizontal and vertical integration. Enhanced collaborations include examples such as ensuring programs are articulated and stackable, integrating admissions, enrollment, and student services between partner institutions, leveraging shared administrative services, and identifying ways to share select academic programs and research opportunities. Requires the Board to report to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee on the implementation of this section. An amendment to the bill requires the Board to consult with faculty, staff, and students while developing plans for System integration. This bill passed in the House and has been sent to the Senate.

SB 152 – Public and Higher Education Collaboration (Sen. Michael McKell, Rep. Val Peterson): Requires the Utah State Board of Education (K-12) and the Utah Board of Higher Education to establish and implement a process for disclosing grades 7-12 student data to UBHE and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to support secondary student engagement in college and career readiness programs and facilitate easier access to higher education admissions and financial aid. Requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to inform parents of their right to opt out of sharing this information with higher education entities. Requires compliance with state and federal data laws and requires higher education employees with access to grades 7-12 student data to be trained on federal and state student data privacy laws, proper handling and protection of student data, data breach prevention and response procedures, and authorized uses and disclosure limitations for data received under this part. Requires UBHE to make administrative rules in coordination with USBE. This bill received a favorable recommendation in the House Education Committee on Feb. 17.

SB 195 – Workforce Development (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Authorizes the Governor to delegate to the Board the authority to approve eligible USHE programs to submit to the Secretary of Education for consideration regarding participation in the federal Workforce Pell Grant program. Authorizes the Department of Workforce Services to provide wage record data to the Board. Authorizes the Utah Data Research Center to maintain a program to support data collection, analysis, and exchange with participating state agencies. Establishes the Statewide Youth Apprenticeship Governance Council to coordinate youth apprenticeship programs across the state agencies and education providers. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Standing Committee on Jan. 28 and is on the Senate third reading calendar as of the morning of Feb. 17.

SB 216 – Higher Education Performance and Enrollment Funding (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Establishes a process and formula for determining certain enrollment-based funding for USHE institutions. Establishes new performance metrics and goals for performance-based funding specific to institutional roles and missions. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 3 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the morning of Feb. 17.

SB 240, 1st Substitute – Higher Education Institutional Governance (Sen. Chris Wilson, Rep. Karen Peterson): Consolidates and reorganizes general duties of boards of trustees for institutions of higher education. Clarifies the relationship between trustees and institutional president, including requirements that the president consult with the board of trustees in executing authority to control and manage the budget and finances of the institution, and that the board of trustees performs an annual performance review of the president in consultation with the Utah Board of Higher Education. Defines the authority of the board of trustees over institutional internal audits. This bill amends the membership of a technical college board of trustees for a service region that contains four or more school districts. Enacts provisions regarding the duties of an institution’s legal counsel, including requiring the Board of Higher Education to make rules regarding the scope of the role of an institution’s legal counsel. Prohibits the president from hiring outside counsel for the purpose of prosecuting or defending litigation and requires that, if outside counsel is hired, the attorney general shall approve the costs and services before the outside counsel incurs the cost. This bill also requires reporting of certain institutional compensation information, including information that demonstrates an institution is meeting the Board’s faculty teaching and instructional workload metrics. See the bill language for additional provisions and requirements. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 6 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the morning of Feb. 17.