State of Arizona: Here’s that $75 million we didn’t give you on time…our bad

When you woke up this morning and went to school, you may have smelled something. No, not the rotting sinew of student sin, silly—I’m talking about the smell of money, $30 million to be exact.

As it turns out, the State of Arizona finally made good on the $75 million monthly check, $30 million of which went to the University of Arizona, that was due to the Arizona University System in December. Reeling from and still trying to come somewhere near solving the current state budget crisis (I’m sure you’ve heard about it; it’s what all the kids are talking about.), the State Legislature thought it prudent to keep those funds next to its pillow for about an extra 30 days.

Now that the State has sent the money that’s desperately needed (After all, who knows how long emergency reserve funds can last, and it doesn’t bode well when this is the last time we heard about a campus organization being forced to dip into “reserve funds.”), the entire UA community should jump up for joy, right?

Before we all start praising the State Legislature for giving the university its monthly check (albeit a month late), let’s not forget about that January payment the universities have yet to receive. Word is that such money usually comes in at the end of the month, but who knows with those whacky State guys.