TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has cut higher education spending by $17 million in response to a shortfall in tax collections for February.

Brownback announced Tuesday that he ordered a 3 percent cut in the higher education system’s allocation of state tax dollars under this fiscal year’s budget. The Board of Regents and state universities will have to make the adjustments over the next four months.

The governor acted after the Department of Revenue reported that the state collected $54 million less in taxes than anticipated in February.

The state must now act to prevent a deficit on June 30. Brownback’s action would not fully balance the budget.

The department said the state collected $303 million in taxes last month instead of the $357 million projected in a November fiscal forecast.