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Utah lawmakers have agreed to finally release the millions of dollars they have been withholding from Utah State University.
The Executive Appropriations Committee voted unanimously and without comment late last week to return the state funding to USU after the school had been left waiting in limbo for months. University President Brad Mortensen, who attended the meeting, could be seen sighing in apparent relief from his seat in the audience.
The action comes after the Legislature back in September approved returning the funding for every other public university and college in the state — leaving only USU out.
The money comes from a controversial $60.5 million slash to the higher education budget that required schools to eliminate “inefficient” academic programs.
Each school could then earn their share of the funds back in a reallocation if they showed the money would be reinvested in degrees that lead to high-wage jobs the state needs.
USU’s share of the cuts was $12.6 million, and school leaders originally presented their plan alongside the other institutions. But they were told to make substantial revisions before lawmakers would sign off, including more investment in research and agriculture jobs, both fields USU focuses on.
Newly instated President Mortensen made those requested changes. But lawmakers decided in December to continue holding their approval.
During that meeting, they said it was because they had lingering heartburn over the previous president’s splashy expenses. The Salt Lake Tribune reported on Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell using state funds to buy a new office bidet, a heat-controlled golf cart for driving around campus and two new cars; she spent more than $660,000 during her brief 18 months in office before stepping down last March.
Lawmakers said they would wait to approve USU’s plan until after a state audit of Cantwell’s spending concluded. At the time, they agreed to release only 30%, or roughly $3.8 million back to the school.
That audit came out at the end of January, confirming The Tribune’s reporting and also noting several times where it appeared Cantwell and other USU administrators likely broke state law by skirting requirements for approving contracts with outside companies.
Lawmakers spoke strongly against Cantwell and said the findings caused them serious concern. But they praised Mortensen for steering USU’s ship in a better direction.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah State University president Brad Mortensen at a meeting of the Legislative Audit Subcommittee at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.
Last week, Mortensen told legislators: “We have responded to the audit. And we concur with the findings. We have set up a process to implement the recommendations there.”
Now, the school will get the rest of its money back — $8.8 million — via a wire transfer that should go through in the next few days.
Mortensen also sent a message to campus after the win, noting, “I deeply appreciate the work and support across the university over the past several months that helped position us for this success.”
He scheduled a town hall to answer any lingering questions from faculty, staff and students for Friday, March 6 at 2:30 p.m at the Eccles Conference Center auditorium on campus.