Georgia universities request $265 million for construction, repair

Kennesaw State, Georgia Tech, Georgia Gwinnett College and the University of Georgia would all get big money for construction projects under a budget request approved by the University System Board of Regents Wednesday.

The Regents backed a budget request to lawmakers that includes $117 million to pay for enrollment growth in the system and extra retirement system payments for staffers, and another $265 million in borrowing for construction and renovation projects.

The budget proposal now goes to Gov. Nathan Deal, who will decide whether to recommend the request to the General Assembly in January.

Among the beneficiaries would be Kennesaw State University, which would get $39.5 million for a classroom building, Georgia Tech, which would get $47.4 million to renovate campus library buildings, UGA, which would receive $18.7 million for the third phase of a business school facility, and Georgia Gwinnett College, which is seeking $11.5 million for the next phase of an academic building.

Preliminary numbers put the system’s fall enrollment at about 322,000, up about 1.3 percent over last year.