After the Iowa House passed its version of the Governor’s education bill, the House recently passed the education budget.

47th District Representative Chip Baltimore says they passed a $60 million investment for the policies that they passed earlier in the education reform plan.

The proposed education budget allows for some funds to be distributed to the teacher compensation structure of the teacher-mentor program, $10 million to all Iowa community colleges and $16 million to the three state regency universities: University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa.

Baltimore explains what the ultimate benefit will be if $16 million were given to the three state universities for undergraduate programs.

“There should be with this additional funding a 0% increase in tuition for our college students.  Which is the first time in my recollection going clear back to the days when I was at Iowa State, that that’s ever happened.”

Baltimore believes that this type of funding is needed to keep graduating high school students in Iowa.