Funding Impact to Community Colleges in Colorado
I haven’t updated my blog for a while, but now I really have something to talk about. The state budget cuts in Colorado will have a big impact on the state of Colorado. I am concerned because I working for the Colorado Community College System and my son plans to attend a Community College next year. However, if the proposed budget cuts are passed, it could affect all citizens of the state.
The Joint Budget Committee’s Long Bill will have devastating impacts on Colorado Community Colleges.
The Long Bill, as introduced, would slash Colorado Community College funding from $142.3 million of state support to $51.6 million. This decrease will cut off affordable access to higher education in Colorado. Not since FY 1988-89 have community colleges been funded at such a low level. Indeed, the community colleges will be funded at the FY 1988-89 level, yet serve 37,500 more students today than we did 20 years ago.
The reduction in spending on community colleges will further plunge the State into recession. Studies show that for every $1 invested in community colleges, more than $7 is created in economic activity. This $91 million cut in community colleges will cost the state at least $637 million in lost economic activity.
The Community Colleges will be forced to close colleges and campuses. These closures will not be isolated to small colleges, but rather urban and rural colleges alike will face closure. The legislature must run legislation to close each college and millions of dollars of historical investment in these institutions would be thrown away.
Large and small colleges alike would close, causing layoffs of thousands of employees. If the larger colleges are closed, four colleges would close; we would cut off higher education access to nearly 52,000 students; 2,700 full-time workers would lose their jobs; there would be an annual income loss of nearly $50 million.
If smaller and larger colleges close, a total of 9 colleges would close in urban and rural areas alike; 33,800 students would no longer be educated; more than 2,000 people would lose their jobs; there would be an annual income loss to the state of $37.3 million.
Affordable Higher Education will no longer exist in Colorado. The de-funding of community colleges in the Long Bill means that students will face massive tuition hikes of 65% to 70% tuition increase to make up for the slash in funding. Roughly 18,750 Coloradans will no longer be able to afford a community college education. It will be cheaper for Colorado citizens to go to college out-of-state than to stay in-state.
During recessionary times, Coloradans turn to community colleges to get re-training and new skills so they can compete in the 21st century economy. The current recession has been devastating for many Colorado families. These Coloradans rely on Community Colleges to help them get the skills they need to get a job and to support their families. Community College enrollment is surging more than 11% as unemployed citizens come to us to get job skills. We offer job solutions and hope to dislocated workers. With a 63% drop in state funding, we will no longer be able to offer opportunity and hope to the unemployed.
Job Training and Career and Technical Education Opportunities will vanish. Colorado Community Colleges train more than half of the state’s nurses. We also train more than 90% of the state’s first responders in such professions as paramedics, emergency medical technicians, fire science, and police officers. We provide training for the new energy economy and for traditional energy. We are the career and technical training colleges, with one-third of our students in career and technical training programs. Yet, these programs are very expensive. We will no longer be able to offer these high-cost programs at a time when there are severe shortages in the workforce for these workers.
Community Colleges are a significant economic development engine for their communities. For example, in recent years, Vestas has announced that it would bring over 1,000 jobs to Colorado. Pueblo Community College and Front Range Community College will be providing the training for the company’s workers. Our community colleges were important factors in attracting this company. Thousands of companies use community colleges for their workforce training. We would no longer be able to play the integral role in attracting and retaining industry to Colorado.
Our Colleges are integral to helping stem the high school drop-out rate in Colorado and to providing remedial education to those who are not ready for college. Without funding we will be unable to continue our important role in these areas.
Colorado Community colleges play an integral role in providing job skills to inmates so that they do not end up back in prison. We will not be able to continue to be the solution to preventing recidivism in Colorado.
Colorado Community Colleges are real colleges for real people. Do not slash our funding and cut off opportunities to higher education for minority and low income Coloradans!
Contact Jason Hopfer, 303-880-2023, or Moira Cullen, 303-868-8452 for further information.
