College Funding

Community colleges are coping with major budget deficits, and this section covers how students are being impacted. From local fundraising efforts to federal grants, we’ll explore how community colleges are staying afloat despite funding cuts and cost increases.

View the most popular articles in College Funding:

Gift to Cape Cod Community College Fills Regional Need

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Gift to Cape Cod Community College Fills Regional Need
A $1.25 million donation to Cape Cod Community College will greatly expand the dental hygiene program for the school. This is particularly important since it is not only the only dental hygiene program within a 50-mile radius; it is also serving the needs of the low-income and uninsured members of the community.

When community colleges partner with businesses in the community, it can benefit students and residents alike. Never has that been more true than at Cape Cod Community College, where the dental hygiene program meets a need for dental care in surrounding communities, as well as employment opportunities for the students that complete the program. Recently, the school received a huge boost to its program capabilities, thanks to a generous gift from a single benefactor and the help of at least one business in the community.

Cape Cod Community College’s Dental Hygiene Program

According to the Barnstable-Hyannis Patch, the fully accredited dental hygiene program at Cape Cod Community College is the only one of its kind within a 50-mile radius. Currently, the competitive program boasts a large training area filled with 14 dental chairs and a bevy of dental tools students will need to learn how to use to work in their chosen field. Manning those chairs are 42 students each year, preparing for lucrative, stable positions within the dental industry. Students run the gamut from high school graduates moving directly into the program to older adults looking for a career boost or change.

While the school’s program is well-acclaimed within the dental community, the college also knows it could be doing much more to serve those in surrounding areas with high-quality dental care. More students could be trained if the facilities could be expanded to accommodate additional classes. Also, in light

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California Community College System Slammed with Budget Cuts

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California Community College System Slammed with Budget Cuts
Many fears have now been realized, as California lawmakers slash hundreds of millions of dollars from higher education budgets. We’ll look at how these dramatic cuts will impact community colleges across the state.

Many community colleges across the country are struggling with higher enrollment rates and lower budgets, thanks to economic woes and a record-high unemployment rate. In California, budget cuts will soon be forcing community colleges in the state to tighten their belts even further – a move that many education experts warn could hurt the state over the long term. In addition to higher fees, colleges will also have to look at where they can cut back in their courses and services: decisions that students will feel for some time to come.

What the Numbers Look Like

According to the Fresno Bee, Governor Jerry Brown recently announced major budget cuts for the state, in the areas of education, senior services, and child care. Higher education was hit hard in the recent budget slashing, with community colleges losing a total of $102 million over the next calendar year. The budget cuts will take place on January 1, leaving schools scrambling to figure out what needs to stay and what has to go in their current financial planning.

To help cover the budget shortfalls, the California legislature is expected to approve a $10-per-unit fee increase that should cover a percentage of the reductions. This increase will translate to $46 by summer 2012. This increase is up from the current rate of $36 per unit, which was introduced last fall. Before that initial hike, students were paying $26 per unit, reflecting a 57-percent increase in fees overall since the

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Bond Measure Goes Down for San Mateo County Community College

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Bond Measure Goes Down for San Mateo County Community College
A bond measure that would have provided funds for community college expansion and renovation went down in San Mateo County, and we’ll look at how community college officials will handle the loss.

In the past, when San Mateo County Community College District in California asked the voters for more funding, the answer was yes. However, the district didn’t fare so well in this last round of voting, and now the three colleges within the district will be forced to make some tough decisions regarding the expansion and renovation of their campuses. The bond issue has raised some interesting issues on both sides, as voters came out to either support their community college system or send a strong statement that, like others in a tough economy, San Mateo must figure out how to do more with less.

Measure H Designed for Upgrades

The most recent bond issue to come before San Mateo voters, Measure H, would have provided the community college district with an additional $564 million. The money was slated to be used to continue the district’s decade-long reconstruction project, according to a report in The Almanac. The bond measure went down in defeat to a vote of 52.75 percent who supported the measure and 47.25 percent who opposed it. The measure required a minimum approval vote of 55 percent to pass, according to current state law.

The defeat was the first the community college district has faced in recent years. Over the past decade, two other bond measures have passed, providing the district with necessary funding for upgrades to buildings and technology throughout their campuses. According to Peninsula Press, the first measure passed in 2001

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Community Colleges Receiving Grants to Ease the Pinch of Tighter Budgets

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Community Colleges Receiving Grants to Ease the Pinch of Tighter Budgets
Learn about a number of grants coming into community colleges across the country to help with budget shortfalls that have resulted from the Great Recession.

Since the Great Recession began a few short years ago, budgets have been a concern for community colleges, with less money coming in from their states. This problem is exacerbated by the unprecedented influx of students, from displaced workers seeking new training to high school graduates who can no longer afford a four-year university. Fortunately, some community colleges are seeing financial relief, as grants come in from a wide range of resources. We’ll take a look at some of the grants community colleges are receiving for the upcoming school year.

Grants Given to Ivy Tech for the Benefit of Military Students

Ivy Tech is the big winner in the grant offered to Indiana colleges by the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University. This community college received more than a half-million in funding from the foundation. The money was awarded based on Ivy Tech’s efforts to enhance services for student service members, veterans, and their families, according to a report at Inside Indiana Business.

The money is offered in 12 separate grants that will go to many of the Ivy Tech campuses across the state. The funds will be used for the following:

  • The development of a podcast that will be used to educate students and faculty and create a supportive environment for veterans
  • Enhancement of relationships between with community agencies that work with the military population, such as WorkOne and Veterans of Foreign Affairs
  • The creation of a “Boots to Suits”
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As Community Colleges Set Budgets, Tough Decisions Must be Made

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As Community Colleges Set Budgets, Tough Decisions Must be Made
The economy continues to put community colleges between a rock and a hard place, with many making drastic budget cuts and raising tuition fees.

The economic downturn has made its presence felt throughout the country, as families and businesses are forced to tighten their belts and make difficult decisions about their spending habits. Community colleges are facing the same challenges, as severe budget cuts have forced many schools to make choices in staffing, degree programs, and enrollment.

As the deadlines for finalizing next year’s budgets are looming for many schools, we’ll take a look at what some of the community colleges across the nations are forced to do to make ends meet.

This video reports on a pending tuition increase in a local community college.

Cayuga Community College Hiking Tuition Rates

The Cayuga Community College Board of Trustees recently approved their latest budget for the upcoming academic year. According to a report at AuburnPub.com, the new budget will include a hefty tuition hike, as well as a request for additional funding from Cayuga County. The tuition increase will be a significant 7.25 percent jump after tuition was not raised at all during the previous academic year. This amount translates to a $260 increase, with full-time students now paying $3,820 per year and part-time students paying $150 per credit hour. College officials are predicting that the federal Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) will cover the increase for about 75 percent of the students that are currently receiving TAP.

Not everyone was in favor of

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