By Courtney Tanner | The Salt Lake Tribune

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.

Read more at SLTrib.com.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.