Virginia Tech loses $60 million as pandemic hits budget
Virginia Tech loses $60 million as pandemic hits budget
Henri Gendreau Nov 16, 2020
BLACKSBURG Virginia Tech has lost upwards of $60 million since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, mostly due to losses in dining and housing revenue.
Techs board of visitors met Monday to approve the universitys adjusted $1.6 billion operating budget for 2020-21. Board members also gave Tech the power to postpone debt bills and issue new debt to help boost cash flow, if more choppy economic waters emerge.
The universitys auxiliary budget which encompasses housing, dining, athletics, health services and parking, among other areas lost $85.6 million between July and the end of September. Those offices made up $25 million in savings, for a net loss of $60.6 million.
That shortfall, for comparison, is roughly equal to what 1,700 average households in Montgomery County combined would earn in a year. ... So then the question would be, a $60 million gap is a large gap. How are you going to manage that? Tim Hodge, associate vice president for budget and financial planning, told the board.
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Henri Gendreau
Henri Gendreau covers Virginia Tech for The Roanoke Times.