Northern Arizona University is celebrating a small budget victory.
The state budget approved by Arizona lawmakers this week includes $3.3 million in extra funding for NAU.
That may not sound like a lot, but considering the university has lost $60 million in state funding in the last three years, it was welcome news.
State funding has declined from $161 million to $101 million. That’s about one-quarter of the university’s total budget.
University spokesman Tom Bauer says the money will help students succeed.
“The state is worried about the number of people who are not continuing with their education or the failure rate, and this money is meant specifically to improve those outcomes,” he says.
The funds will be used for programs that help students struggling with math and that assist freshmen with their transition to college life.