Dear Colleagues,
With the conclusion this week of the 83rd Nevada Legislature, I’d like to update you on the wins, losses, and hopes for the future that directly affect CSN and our students. While the bills I mention below have gone through the legislative process, many still await the governor’s signature.
As we have stated before, funding formula revisions were not passed. It is our hope that the issue can be revisited in the next legislative session to address the inequities that community college students experience under the current funding system.
On the other hand, our students were given a big win by legislators when they provided $300,000 in additional planning dollars for the CSN Northwest Campus. While it is a disappointing reality that the full $150 million-plus in funding needed for the campus was not available, this vote of confidence by the Legislature puts us in a good position for the next session.
You’ll also be pleased to know that AB568 passed, which appropriates $5.3 million to CSN for cost-of-living adjustments. They are termed “operational and instructional expenses” in this bill because they are one-time funds.
This allocation is a one-time grant to the institutions intended to sustain operations for the duration of the 2025-2027 biennium. The legislature urged NSHE to seek additional revenue sources over the upcoming biennium to ensure that the system pay its operational and instructional expenses in future biennia. This is not a new COLA allocation.
NSHE’s advocacy for AB568 was grounded in the fact that the historic FY24 and FY25 COLAs required institutions to rely on self-supporting funds to cover operational and instructional support expenses that otherwise would have been funded by the state (i.e. shifting state operational funds to cover COLAs). The $5.3 million allocation essentially addresses the carryover impact of partially supporting those COLAs during the last biennium.
For more information see the excerpt from AB568:
Sec. 13.5. 1. The Legislature hereby declares its intent that the 41 appropriations made pursuant to this act are one-time grants of money 42 intended to sustain the operations of the Nevada System of Higher Education 43 and the institutions named herein for the duration of the 2025-2027 biennium. 44 2. The Legislature hereby urges the Nevada System of Higher Education, 45 during the 2025-2027 biennium, to seek additional sources of revenue to ensure 46 that the System is able to pay its operational and instructional expenses in 47 future biennia.
Nursing education throughout the state also saw tremendous support. An additional $20 million was provided to NSHE to expand undergraduate and graduate nursing programs and for academic programming and building renovations at institutions within the system. This is a huge win for nurses and future nurses in Nevada, which chronically experiences nursing shortages.
We’re also thrilled that continued funding for Nevada Grow and the Nevada Promise Scholarship passed — ensuring that CSN will remain able to provide education to the state’s high school graduates who otherwise may not be able to afford college, and that we remain a leader in fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs in Nevada. In addition, NSHE-backed initiatives on fee waivers and safety and security also passed.
In all, it was a positive legislative session for CSN and our students. I’d like to thank every faculty member, every staffer, and every student who advocated for the college, who participated in CSN Day at the Legislature, and who tirelessly fought for our community via student advocacy. Students first is a nice catchphrase — but to see it in action is truly remarkable.
Thank you all.
