JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Missouri’s public universities and community colleges could get a 5 percent funding increase under a budget plan embraced by a Senate committee.

The plan approved Monday by the Senate Appropriations Committee would provide a more than $43 million funding increase to higher education institutions.

Gov. Jay Nixon had proposed increases of 5 percent for universities and 4 percent increase for community colleges.

The House had approved a 3 percent increase for higher education institutions. Part of that would have been dependent on state revenues exceeding legislative projections and instead meeting Nixon’s more optimistic forecast.

All of the proposals would distribute the increased funding based on whether institutions meet performance criteria.

The House and Senate must settle their budget differences by early May.