Eric Weddle, Journal & Courier

The amount of money Purdue University spends on scholarships is attracting attention as budget cuts near.

In the past three years the funding for institutional scholarships -- those paid for by revenue, not private gifts -- has increased by 63 percent.

This year Purdue has $32.4 million allocated for scholarships and grants funded through its general fund. In the 2006-07 school year the amount was $19.8 million.

As executive administrators propose reducing or eliminating benefits, reshaping departments, and outsourcing services as means to find $67 million in budget cuts by summer 2012, some are asking if scholarship funding should be rethought.