The presidents of the universities of Kentucky and Louisville made their case Thursday for more state dollars before a legislative budget review committee.U of L President James Ramsey and UK President Eli Capilouto are slated for a 2.5 percent cut in funding in the first year of Gov. Steve Beshear's proposed budget. Related: Where Would Increased K-12 Education Funding Leave Kentucky's State Universities?Without more revenue from tax reform or expanding gambling, Ramsey says, the formula for the future of state funding for higher education will ring a familiar tone.“Tuition is gonna go up," says Ramsey, who served as the state budget director under Gov. Paul Patton. "We’re gonna miss opportunities. We’re gonna have differed maintenance. So, we went through all that."We’ll continue to do all we can through the activities that we’ve talked about, managing costs, trying to be creative, fundraising to keep moving forward, but it’s hard without the state support.”Maintaining current funding for the universities is the preference of state Rep. Julie Raque Adams, a Louisville Republican. She says it comes down to paying for a solid return on investment dollars.A House vote on the budget is likely in early March.
