Deputy Gov. Dave Cooley visited the UTM campus on Thursday for the quarterly board of trustees meeting and to meet with students and faculty.

Cooley spoke with several students in the UC about pertinent issues being discussed this session by the legislature. Regarding specific budget issues, Cooley noted: "Thus far, the TennCare package released by the governor has generated rave reviews from legislators."

Cooley also discussed higher education. "The governor is proposing a capital project initiative where the state will match university fundraising - dollar for dollar - at a 2:1 ratio." The state has traditionally funded 100 percent of these efforts. With the proposal, individual schools will be held accountable for profit earnings, while being matched to favor them, according to Cooley.

Another aspect of higher education Cooley noted was faculty and staff wages. "For the first time in almost a decade we're giving university staff members raises." Of course, Cooley also pointed out the necessity for universities to run their programs more effectively with the tightening of the budget.

When asked about tuition increases, Cooley noted: "Tuition increase is a sacrifice in the pursuit for educational growth…the magnitude of the lottery will serve as an initiative to assist students with the costs of higher education."

The lottery scholarship awards will be available for post-2003 high school graduates in the fall 2004 term. For more information, visit the education page on tennessee.gov. Cooley was the director of Governor Bredesen's transition team and served as senior strategist during his gubernatorial campaign. Cooley, 40, is a Rockwood native. He holds a bachelor's degree from Tennessee Technological University and a master's degree from the University of West Florida.