An article for this Michigan newspaper chain reports that the state Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education has approved a spending bill that would give all 15 public universities an increase, while recognizing that some schools are far behind the pack in funding. Most universities would get a 1.8 percent hike. But some, such as Grand Valley State , Saginaw Valley State and Oakland University , would get bigger increases, ranging from 2.2 to 7 percent. Wayne State is mentioned as having a per-pupil funding rate of $8,758, while GVS has the lowest rate in the state, at $3,371. The state's three research universities would fare better under a proposal by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, which would have given each an across-the-board 2 percent increase. The spending plan also rejects Granholm's proposal to end the Tuition Grant Program, which gives scholarships to students who attend private colleges in the state. The subcommittee's proposal now goes to the full Senate. The House is expected to come up with its own formula, and the final spending plan is likely to be a compromise.