Radford University is walking away from one of the most contentious state budget cycles as a clear winner.

The 9,600-student college will see a bump of 20.5 percent to $47.5 million in operating funds from the state for the 2006-07 school year.

Only four other state institutions saw higher percentage increases: the University of Mary Washington, Old Dominion University, the University of Virginia's College at Wise and Richard Bland College.

"It looks very good to me," said Evelyn Wilson, RU's vice president for business affairs. "This is definitely on the upswing."

The university will receive $2 million to build a clinical simulation laboratory for nursing students that will be located at the Roanoke Higher Education Center. Another $1.1 million of appropriations will go toward scholarships and financial aid.

In faculty salaries, the university will receive $1 million, up from the nearly $780,000 that the State Council on Higher Education for Virginia had requested for RU. But Wilson said the uptick mostly represents a correction of SCHEV's calculations.

Radford's total educational and general program budget for 2006-07 is $89.4 million. That budget is up from last year's $77.8 million.

State funds account for $47.5 million, or 53.2 percent of the 2006-07 total. Tuition monies will kick in $40.4 million, and another $1.5 million will come in from federal work study, application fees, library fines and other miscellaneous income.

RU also received $19 million in capital funds for campus renovations and equipment for a new fine arts center.

The university did not receive $2.4 million in planning money for a graduate studies center that had made it into the House budget.

"We realize there are difficult fiscal choices faced by our elected officials each year," said President Penelope Kyle in a statement.

"We are grateful for their support for higher education and for Radford University."