On July 21, 2020, Universities in Missouri received an email from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development that noted, “The General Assembly appropriated $20,176,666 in Bright Flight funds for state fiscal year 2021. However, based on current economic conditions the Governor has restricted almost $6.5 million of those funds, significantly reducing the amount of funds available to the program. As a result, the estimated Bright Flight award amounts have been reduced from $3,000 to $1,800 to ensure expenditures do not exceed the available funds. We regret the impact this unavoidable reduction will have on students and we will consider a mid-year increase to award amounts if the restricted funds are released. Final award amounts for both programs will be announced in August.” This email reflected the budget cuts indicated by the Governor in the previous month.