House Ways and Means Committee (WIBC.com photo: Eric Berman)

Indiana's university presidents are kicking off hearings on the next state budget.

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The Commission for Higher Education has recommended a formula linking university funding to performance measures. Indiana State president Daniel Bradley complains that would unfairly hit ISU with a 1% budget cut because of poor four-year graduation rates. He says ISU has a disproportionate number of low-income students and students who are "marginally prepared" for college, with a majority of students being the first generation in their families to attend college.

And Bradley says the disparity will likely only get worse as the state pushes to increase university enrollment -- he says the new collegians will mostly be students with borderline high school records, while those attending Purdue and IU will be those who would have gone to college anyway.

Purdue provost Tim Sands made his final legislative appearance as acting president before Mitch Daniels changes jobs next week. He's urging legislators to recognize what he says is a $3 million-a-year return on investment to the state from Purdue research.

Bradley, Sands and Vincennes president Dick Helton addressed the budget-writing House Ways and Means Committee. Leaders of IU, Ball State, Ivy Tech and the University of Southern Indiana will address the panel Thursday.