Over the last few months, I've heard from students and parents, college professors and university presidents. They've made a very compelling case … that even in a tight budget year, we must do everything we can to fix higher education. So last week, I made a pledge to our colleges, our universities and to the people of South Carolina. We're going to fix higher education's budget problems.

This week, I gathered together the leaders of South Carolina's public colleges and universities. We unveiled our plan to fix the cuts in higher education. We've put a plan on the table that provides $126 million for higher education without raising taxes.

Our plan draws funds from a variety of sources. It requires state agencies to tighten their belts in order to fix higher education. Earlier this month, I requested that our Cabinet directors find additional savings that we could use to help fund higher education. I've sent a clear message to the rest of state government that K through 16 education remains the top priority of my administration. I have cut the budget for my own office by 15 percent. Now I've asked the rest of our elected officials -- the House, the Senate and our constitutional officers -- to do the same. This belt-tightening will yield over $5 million for our colleges and universities.

We can also realize substantial savings from running government more efficiently. We will gain $24 million in Medicaid savings by better utilizing the matching funds South Carolina receives from the federal government. We will collect $2.2 million in bad student loans. It's only fair for delinquent former students to pay back their loans so current students won't have to face tuition increases. And our efforts to reduce the amount of waste at the Barnwell waste facility will save $35 million in cleanup costs in the years to come. My plan also uses $60 million in bonds to finance long-term improvements in campus maintenance that have been delayed for years. Furthermore, I have asked the legislature to join me and pledge that any new general fund revenue will go to higher education.

Altogether, this higher education legislative package will generate $126.7 million for higher education. Over $93 million will be used to completely restore the funds that had been cut for our colleges and universities. The remaining $23 million will fund much needed research incentives in higher education. If we devote more resources to research, we will see a significant return on our investment. Our colleges and universities will be better able to compete with other research institutions for federal grants and private funding. And the technological advances that this research yields will be the engine of future economic development. As additional money becomes available in the state budget, these research initiatives will be my top priority. It is clear that any new money must be used to restore funding to higher education.

Students, faculty and administrators have made a compelling case that deep cuts in higher education are unacceptable. I have heard their message loud and clear. This week, we began the process of restoring funds to our colleges and universities. As we continue to write this year's state budget, I will continue my efforts to stand up for higher education in South Carolina.