Stimulus would aid Georgia colleges, students

For many Georgia college students, a national economic stimulus package could provide what almost every student needs: more money for tuition.

Faculty members — especially at the state’s major institutions — might see more funds coming in for research.

And campuses across the state would try to capture a share of as much as $160 million targeted for Georgia to improve their facilities.

As the U.S. Senate takes up a proposed $800-plus-billion bill this week after a version cleared the U.S. House on Jan. 28, officials at Georgia’s institutions of higher education are keeping close watch for potential benefits.

No one knows what a final plan might include, and many aspects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are being heavily debated.

A version passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee cuts in half both the $7 billion in the House plan for college facilities and the $3 billion for National Science Foundation research, according to an analysis by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

A summary of the Senate version made no mention of any provision for work-study funds, while the House provided $490 million for that purpose.

The Senate bill would increase the maximum amount of Pell grants to low-income students by $681 over two years, while the House version provides for a boost of $500 in one year.

Any increase to Pell grants should benefit Georgia colleges and universities and many of their students, said John Millsaps, spokesman for the state Board of Regents.

“More students from working-class families are likely to enroll in college, and more are likely to complete college,” he said.

Pell grant awards to students are based on tuition cost, family income and other factors.

Some money would go indirectly to universities by way of federal agencies. Both bills provide money for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, for example. Some — although it is not clear how much — could fund research conducted in the colleges and universities.

Research funding is among the more controversial aspects of the proposed stimulus. Critics argue it will create few immediate jobs.

But research produces new medicines, new technology and new products that could create new industry for decades to come, said James Wagner, president of Emory University.

“By investing in research,” he said, “we help ensure that a short-term stimulus has long-term implications. When the bang goes away, there have to be echoes of strength for years to come.”

Money spent on campus improvements could benefit not only colleges and construction firms but manufacturers and suppliers of everything from carpet to concrete, said Michael Gerber, president of the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education.

If the national money for campus modernization, renovation and repair comes in around $6 billion, Georgia could pick up more than $160 million, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Administrators are preparing laundry lists of so-called “shovel-ready” projects that could begin as soon as money comes through.

“There’s certainly pent-up demand right now with the inability to fund these sorts of projects in recent years,” said Tom Jackson, spokesman for the University of Georgia.

UGA has 15 potential projects with price tags ranging from $100,000 for water and energy conservation improvements at its veterinary school to $40 million for a system that would let the university generate energy directly from biomass, Jackson said.

Around the state’s University System, schools are looking at improvements to their heating and cooling systems, lighting and security systems, along with other specific needs, Regents spokesman Millsaps said.

A sampling of possibilities shows that Georgia Tech wants to update its lighting and electrical systems, Georgia Perimeter College needs to replace windows and Kennesaw State University would renovate its gym and restrooms.

All could benefit, Millsaps said, should Georgia’s public university system get technology funds to improve its statewide research and educational network known as PeachNet.