A wide range of factors influence the budget as the University seeks to enhance revenues to benefit students and the learning process. They include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Student fees and tuition now account for more than half of the general operating budget – state appropriations have declined over the years, with a net loss of more than $10 million from Fiscal Year 2009 to Fiscal Year 2012.
- Based on its own analysis and the advice of legislators and others, Missouri State prepared for two years to face the cut in state appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012. As a result, the University was well-positioned to handle the reduction without harming the academic programs and with minimal impact on current employees.
- Missouri State continues to be challenged by faculty and staff compensation packages that are 10 to 15 percent below the appropriate benchmark based on job responsibility and market – this is significant since total compensation currently accounts for almost 70 percent of the expenses.
- The state of Missouri continues to be in the bottom five among all states in support of education – yet Missouri's public four-year institutions continue to be below the national average in cost, and Missouri State remains in the lower half of cost among the state's four-year institutions.
- The state of Missouri has not had a comprehensive capital appropriations bill for higher education for eight years, and there is little optimism about having such a bill in the near future.
- Future federal funding for higher education, especially for student financial aid, is unclear.
- For the past four years, the Missouri State Foundation has averaged $1 million per month in gifts, topping the $15 million mark in giving per year the past three years.
- Sponsored programs have attracted an average of $20 million annually for the past three years – the growth in sponsored programs is a testament to the increased research and community activity by faculty.