Alabama colleges seek more in lean times

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Higher education in Alabama is seeking more money for next year, even though legislative fiscal experts predict no extra money will be available.

Legislators are spending the week in Montgomery hearing budget requests for the new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2010. Wednesday was the first day for education officials to make their pitch.

The Alabama Commission on Higher Education recommended that the funding for four-year colleges be increased more than 10 percent to $1.1 billion.

Alabama’s two-year college system sought an increase of 13 percent to $423 million. The new two-year college chancellor, Freida Hill, acknowledged that’s not likely to happen and asked legislators to consult her department when making cuts in the request.