As Kansas University submits its budget requests for additional spending, higher education officials also are watching the state’s bottom line.

“We certainly have to have it in mind because we don’t know what the collections and receipts will be in the next few months,” said KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little.

State revenue forecasts show significant revenue problems down the road.

And while the reason for the fiscal drop has become hotly debated, the Kansas Board of Regents on Tuesday will start the annual process of recommending a budget for all of public higher education in the state.

“We are not going to sit and speculate on whether we are going to get a recision or not,” said Kenny Wilk, the new regents chairman. “We are going to assume we are not.”

Wilk said the board has told the leaders of higher education institutions to propose enhancements in funding.

And they have. Approximately $93 million in increased funding has been set before the board.

Of the budget requests, KU is seeking $5 million per year in additional funding to establish a Drug and Vaccine Discovery Institute that officials say will improve health and foster economic development by encouraging pharmaceutical firms to move to Kansas.

KU also wants $3.4 million for each of the next two fiscal years to provide merit-based salary increases at the Medical Center. In addition, the Medical Center has requested $2.4 million in additional funding in the next fiscal year and $4.9 million the year after that for the Medical Center’s Wichita campus.

The school also is seeking $7 million in recurring funding starting in 2016 to help build new science buildings.

Gray-Little said KU’s requests represent areas that build on the school’s strengths, will help the Kansas economy and can’t be done without assistance from the state.

“We have put forth items that are very important items that address needs that we cannot take care of ourselves,” Gray-Little said.

The public higher education system includes six regents universities, including Kansas University, 19 community colleges, six technical colleges and Washburn University. The system enrolls nearly 260,000 people and spends approximately $3.3 billion per year. About $800 million of that amount comes from state appropriations.

Wilk said board members will have to weigh many factors in devising a budget recommendation.

“You always have a lot more in requests than there is in resources,” Wilk said. “We are trying to make sure schools are affordable and at the same time everyone wants quality. You have to balance it.”

After Tuesday’s budget workshop, the regents will meet during a retreat in August, and finalize a budget recommendation in September that will go to Brownback’s office. In addition, there are three vacancies on the nine-member board. Brownback’s office said those vacancies will be filled later this month.