Khayat hopes to snag education funds

By By Lynette Wilson / staff writer
Jan. 18, 2003
Ole Miss Chancellor Robert Khayat said he believes he can show legislators that economic development is linked to education and then secure money from them for education programs.
State Rep. Billy McCoy, House Ways and Means Committee chairman, asked Khayat and other higher education leaders to show the connection.
If they do, McCoy said he would work with the Legislature to provide funding. McCoy, a longtime supporter of public education, is the former House Education Committee chairman.
Mississippi has eight public universities and 15 community colleges.
Khayat said the plan is to ask legislators to allocate money for community colleges that currently link their vocational-technical programs to existing industry.