FAMU Receives Nearly $70M in New Funding in State Budget

By Andrew Skerritt

Florida A&M University received nearly $70 million in new funding in the 2022-2023 state budget signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last week.

President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., thanked the Governor, the leadership of the Florida Senate and House, the Florida Board of Governors, the FAMU Board of Trustees, the Rattler Legislative Caucus, the Leon County Legislative Delegation, the FAMU National Alumni Association and the Student Government Association, among others, for their support in accomplishing the University’s legislative goals.

“These allocations reflect the Legislature’s commitment to support our mission and strategic initiatives,” Robinson said. “These funds will boost student success through scholarships and the provision of wraparound services, and the retention and recruitment of world-class faculty. We also welcome much-needed funding to upgrade our infrastructure, which will contribute to a safer and more sustainable campus environment. A strong and vibrant FAMU is an asset for the State of Florida.”

The funding is designed to beef up the University’s student success initiatives, including graduation and retention rates, first-time licensure pass rates for nursing, pharmacy, and physical therapy, boosting the number of STEM graduates and the recruitment and retention of faculty. Funding for scholarships and student financial support is part of the allocation. Student success is the foundation to scoring well on the Florida Board of Governors’ Performance-Based Funding (PBF) model, under which each State University System (SUS) schools earn points on various metrics. The University is in line to receive approximately $12 million in Performance-Based Funding.

Legislative support will also help improve campus-wide utility infrastructure, in line with the strategic plan. The $27.7 million allocation will allow for high-pressure boiler replacements, centrifugal water-cooled chiller replacements and campus HVAC control upgrades along with several other inter-related scopes of work.

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering will receive $6.62 million to support undergraduate student success and recruitment of new faculty researchers to yield high-tech partnerships and increases in Florida’s “native engineering capabilities.”

“The State investment will be of great assistance in our goal to achieve further alignment with our SUS peers,” said Danielle McBeth, director of FAMU Government Relations. “We are so appreciative to all who helped us realize these significant resources during the Legislative Session and it is certainly an ongoing process. We have already begun work on our 2023-2024 Legislative Budget Request. The future indeed looks bright.”

2022-2023 Legislative Allocations: