FRANKFORT — Kentucky higher education, spared budget cuts during two years of state financial woes, was called on to take a hit in the latest round announced Monday by Gov. Paul Patton.

        Northern Kentucky University will lose about a half-percent of its $100 million annual budget. But because of a two percent budget contingency, the cuts aren't likely to be felt at the Highland Heights campus, said President Dr. James Votruba.

        “With the financial situation of the state, we knew this was coming,” Dr. Votruba said. “And we'll do our part. We know it's our turn ... because other areas of the state budget have already been cut.”

        The money cut from the budget would have been used to improve buildings on the Highland Heights campus. Some of that work may be delayed, but most will still be done with the money coming from the contingency, Dr. Votruba said.

        State funding for elementary and secondary education was left intact. Mr. Patton said higher education can rely on tuition and other sources of funding to make up some differences, plus has the padding from recent years of large budget increases.

        Through three previous rounds of budget cuts total ing more than $700 million last fiscal year and this one, education has been spared the knife.

        This time, the universities and colleges will see $18.4 million reduced from their state appropriations.

        The eight universities and the community-technical col lege system will each decide where to make individual cuts.

        Individual cuts range from just more than $6 million at the University of Kentucky, from a total UK budget of $302 million, to $50,700 at Lexington Community College. The cuts were no more than 2 percent for any institution, and less in most cases. There were no reductions in funding for scholarships.

        The cuts will cost Northern Kentucky University $569,000, Dr. Votruba said Monday.

        If the economy does not turn around, more cuts may have to be made, Dr. Votruba said.

        The $35 million in cuts announced Monday were the last unanswered questions from reductions first announced two months ago for a total of nearly $533 million this year.

        Because of a $1.5 billion budget shortfall, Ohio is also cutting funding to higher education, forcing tuition increases at state universities.

        Tuition is increasing 3 percent at the University of Cincinnati for the winter quarter and another 3 percent for the spring quarter. It was the school's first midyear tuition increase in almost 20 years.

        NKU may further feel the sting of budget cuts.

        University officials, state lawmakers from Northern Kentucky and area business leaders are pushing for money to build a $45 million arena on NKU's Highland Heights campus.

        But in an interview Monday with The Enquirer,Mr. Patton said he does see how the state can afford any new projects or borrowing under the current budget.

        “I think it will be obvious when we propose this budget that it would not be responsible to cut existing programs in order to fund capital construction” projects, Mr. Patton said. “I'm as big a proponent for capital construction as anybody in this state. But I'm also a realist.”

        The latest rounds will involve everything from fewer cell phones and subscriptions in the Cabinet for Health Services to two inmates in single cells in some state prisons. Health Services Secretary Marcia Morgan said the agencies charged with testing and responding to potential bioterrorism incidents will not be cut.

        “It's beginning to squeeze. It's beginning to hurt,” Mr. Patton said during an afternoon briefing.

        The cuts will be made without laying off any state workers. “In this year. We're not talking about next year,” Mr. Patton said.

        Mr. Patton said the coming two years could prove an even more difficult spending puzzle. Although the total sum could not be determined, much of the money to balance this year's budget came from sources that cannot be repeated, from drawing down the rainy day fund to lower than expected interest rates on the sale of bonds.

        “It would take more money than we've got to level-fund the government for the next two years,” Mr. Patton warned.

        Mr. Patton is now putting together the budget he will propose to the 2002 General Assembly. The current fiscal year ends June 30.

        The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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