JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Administrators at Missouri public colleges and universities say they are reluctant to consider raising tuition, but they might have no choice.

New Republican Gov. Eric Greitens proposed on Thursday a nearly 10 percent reduction in core higher education funding in his budget proposal for the coming year.

Missouri public universities have been able to keep tuition relatively stable, thanks to yearly agreements with lawmakers. In 2007, then-Gov. Jay Nixon signed a law capping in-state tuition at 4-year schools, allowing only small increases.

University leaders say that Greitens’ proposal to slash another $22 million on top of $68 million in cuts announced in January makes higher tuition almost inevitable.

The budget still has to pass through the House and Senate, and lawmakers say they will try to reduce the planned cuts.