Authority: Title 23, Chapter 11, Code of Virginia.

A. This Item includes general and nongeneral fund appropriations to support institutional initiatives that help meet statewide goals described in the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act of 2005 (Chapters 933 and 945, 2005 Acts of Assembly). 

B. Out of this appropriation shall be expended an amount estimated at $869,882 from the general fund and $436,357 from nongeneral funds the first year and $869,882 from the general fund and $436,357 from nongeneral funds the second year for the educational telecommunications project to provide graduate engineering education, subject to a plan approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

C. Out of this appropriation, $128,903 from the general fund and $250,813 from nongeneral funds the first year and $128,903 from the general fund and $250,813 from nongeneral funds the second year is designated to support the Educational and General portion of the debt service for the coal-fired facility, as approved in Item D-6.1, Chapter 459, Acts of Assembly of 1991.

D. Out of this appropriation, $358,594 the first year and $358,594 the second year from the general fund is designated to support the Marion duPont Scott Equine Center of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

E. Out of this appropriation, $112,956 and one position the first year and $112,956 and one position the second year from the general fund is designated for the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research.

F. Out of this appropriation, $11,953 the first year and $11,953 the second year from the general fund is designated to support continuing education activities at the Reynolds Homestead.

G. Out of this appropriation, $67,236 the first year and $67,236 the second year from the general fund is designated to support the research activities of the Virginia Water Resources Center.

H. Out of this appropriation, $268,557 the first year and $268,557 the second year from the general fund is designated to support tobacco research for medicinal purposes and field tests at sites in Blackstone and Abingdon.

I. As Virginia's public colleges and universities approach full funding of the base adequacy guidelines and as the General Assembly strives to fully fund the general fund share of the base adequacy guidelines, these funds are provided with the intent that, in exercising their authority to set tuition and fees, the Board of Visitors shall take into consideration the impact of escalating college costs for Virginia students and families.  In accordance with the cost-sharing goals set forth in § 4-2.01 b. of this act, the Board of Visitors is encouraged to limit increases on tuition and mandatory educational and general fees for in-state, undergraduate students to the extent possible.

J. The appropriation for the fund source Higher Education Operating in this Item shall be considered a sum sufficient appropriation, which is an estimate of the amount of revenues to be collected for the educational and general program under the terms of the management agreement between Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Commonwealth, as set forth in Chapters 933 and 943, of the 2006 Acts of Assembly.

K. Out of this appropriation, $21,125,663 the first year from nongeneral funds is provided to support educational and general programs and student financial assistance.  The source of the nongeneral funds is the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  This funding is intended to moderate the general fund reductions to the institution, as well as moderate the need for tuition and fee increases and increase student access.  The institution is authorized to spend this funding in either the first year or the first quarter of the second year.  Prior to release of this funding, the institution shall provide a plan to the Governor delineating the respective portion of this funding to be used for educational and general program funding and financial assistance, and the year it will be spent.  In addition, the plan shall include anticipated tuition and fee increases for the first and second year of the biennium.  The amounts appropriated are an estimate, and may be modified by the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, depending on final budget reduction actions taken to higher education and public education in the final budget bill enacted for the 2008-10 biennium.

L. Out of this appropriation, $850,000 the second year from the general fund is designated to support a public-private partnership between George Mason University, James Madison University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and CISCO Systems, Inc., to utilize emerging technologies to increase access, reduce time to graduation and reduce unit cost while maintaining and enhancing quality.  Instructional talent across the four institutions will be leveraged in the delivery of programs in foreign languages, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.