The Alabama House of Representatives has passed the state education budget for the 2015 fiscal year, which includes an increase in funding for higher education.

The budget provides for a large percentage of the state’s education fund to be allotted for K-12 education, leaving the remaining budget to fund Alabama’s colleges and universities.

The allotment for higher education has increased by 0.24 percent, which could mean about $1,440,000 more for higher education.

“We actually spent about $134 million more on education overall this year,” said Alabama Rep. Lynn Greer.

Freshman Savannah Rowland said higher education should be given more of the state education budget.

“I don’t think it’s that fair,” Rowland said. “It really doesn’t make sense to me at all why they wouldn’t give us more than (26 percent of the budget).”

The State House budget is providing UNA more funding for the new science building and weight room being constructed on campus, Greer said.

“We are giving $800,000 for the new technology center and weight room at UNA,” he said. “$500,000 of that is for the new technology center and $300,000 is for the new weight room.”

Greer is glad to see UNA getting more funding because like a lot of other schools in the state, UNA is one that tends to get less money than is deserved.

“A lot of schools just don’t get their fair share, and UNA is one of them,” Greer said. “Even though we gave more money, the goal is to make that $800,000 a total of $1 million.”

Rowland believes tuition could be lowered or more programs could be offered if UNA got more funding from the state.

“If you look at other universities, they have more than us,” Rowland said. “I think we should get more or the funding should be divided between the schools based on the number of people who go to college there.”

Freshman Larry Rawdon believe more money should be put into the education budget to increase funding for higher education.

He believes providing more funding for higher education should not take away from the funding K-12 education is currently getting.

“I do think more money should be put into the education system because raising the next generation in ensuring the country’s future,” Rawdon said. “To think we don’t need more money in education overall is stupid.”