The Friends of the W formed to fight a proposed merger and raise money for embattled Mississippi University for Women, but half the battle may have already been won.

"The merger idea, I'm being told, is off the table for most (legislators). That's all I know at this point. That could change at any moment," said MUW President Claudia Limbert Sunday at a Friends of the W meeting on the MUW campus. "I think our overarching goal right now is to raise the money to back up what we need."

What MUW needs, as Limbert told a large crowd in Nissan Auditorium, is $2.5-3.5 million in non-legislated funds to offset budget cuts over the next three years. The Friends of the W, a non-affiliated group of alumni and stakeholders, hopes to play a major role in raising those funds and MUW, which costs the state more money-per-student each year at $8,038 than all other state schools, will need all the help it can get.

"We need more students to bring the (cost-per-student) figure down. If we grow in enrollment, the cuts get decreased. But we cannot raise tuition enough to stop the cuts," said Limbert.

Tuition at MUW will cost a state-low $4,423 in 2010.

With that in mind, Friends of the W has already hit the fundraising trail. Betty Lou Jones, former president of Mississippi's First Alumni Association, MUW's disaffiliated alumni organization, says $138,000 has already been raised to fight the possibility of a merger.

Despite opposition to a merger from legislators like House Universities and Colleges Committee Chairman Rep. Kelvin Buck, D-Holly Springs, Limbert and the Friends of the W remain vigilant.

"We don't know what's going to happen. The (legislative) session doesn't start until Jan. 10 and a lot can happen between now and then so we have to be ready for just about anything," said Limbert.

According to former Institutions of Higher Learning board member Dr. Ricki Garrett, there have been six prior attempts to close or merge MUW during its existence. A repeated goal at Sunday's meeting was to make this the last attempt, but Limbert says the possibility remains unless the school can raise enough money.

"If we can't make our goals of coming up with the money, then we won't have a choice. We'll be forced into that. But I have great personal belief that we can do this. Now we've got everybody in on it together and that's so important. To have the oldest Mississippi alumni association and the current alumni association, the community, everybody is all united," she said.

The two rival alumni associations have put their differences over name changes and Limbert's policies aside for the time being to combat the threat of merger or closure. Dr. Mitzi Green, vice president of the MUW Alumni Association, and Lillian Wade, president elect of the First Alumni Association, both addressed the audience Sunday before Limbert spoke.

"I'm not here to debate the things the university needs," said Limbert. "Just to lay them before you."

Limbert recapped the enrollment picture, stating MUW had increased enrollment just 17 percent over the last seven years before working in a plug for a name change as a tool for attracting new students.

Outside funds are needed, she said, because internally, "there's no fat left to cut."

Jones and Renee Flynt, past president of the MUW Alumni Association, will head up the Friends of the W's fundraising effort while separate committees focus on appealing to the IHL board, the Columbus/Lowndes business community and state legislators. A meeting held Nov. 15 in Madison got the ball rolling by separating members into committees and developing action plans.

Linda Aldy, another former president of the First Alumni Association and a Friends member, closed the meeting by stating Gov. Haley Barbour, who suggested the merger of MUW and Mississippi State in his 2011 budget proposal, and all state legislators should view education as the top budget priority. The Friends of the W plan to make enough noise that the governor, the house and the senate can't ignore them.

"We've got to ensure this is so successful that the seeds we plant ensure the W is never put in this situation again," said Aldy.

MUW students are getting involved, as well. A protest march is planned for tomorrow at noon on the MUW campus.