Utah operates a centralized governance model for public higher education under the Utah Board of Higher Education, a single statewide governing board overseeing all public postsecondary institutions. The Board, comprised of ten Utah citizens, including one student member appointed to a one-year term and nine members serving six-year staggered terms, is responsible for setting policy, approving institutional missions and programs, selecting and evaluating institutional presidents, and submitting a unified higher education budget to the Governor and State Legislature. The Board oversees the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE), which includes 16 institutions: eight public universities and eight technical colleges. The 2020 legislation renaming the Utah State Board of Regents as the Utah Board of Higher Education consolidated authority over the state’s technical colleges, transferring all duties from the former Technical Colleges Board of Trustees. The Higher Education Assistance Authority, providing loan services to students and institutions, operates under the direction of the Board. All institutions also maintain local governing boards for day-to-day oversight.
