Bucks County Community College has three topics that they discuss on their website that show the severity of the funding decrease for community colleges including our very own. The government doesn't have the money to fund schools like it use too so they have to seek funds elsewhere.
* Challenged to meet the needs of a growing community, Bucks County now funds only 18% of the College’s operating budget—not the 30 percent envisioned at the College’s founding.
* BCCC students now pay 40 percent of the cost of their education rather than the one-third originally envisioned. While a full-time student pays just $1,345 in tuition and fees per semester, this still positions the College as the second most expensive community college in Pennsylvania and in the top 10 nationwide.
* Governor Rendell’s budget proposal includes no increase in capital funding for community colleges to update existing facilities, many of which are decades old. In 2006, the state’s fourteen community colleges shared just $4 million in funding for essential renovations.
It is a crying shame that education takes a back seat to nearly everything else when it comes to budgets. One would think that funding education K-12 and college should be a priority to politicians, but apparently that is not the way things work. Time and time again we hear about how horrible our education system is, and then they cut funding. We hear about how are students are falling behind and getting into trouble, so they cut funding some more... When is it enough, and when will the government realize that an education is far more valuable than bailing out the scum of wall street or giving kick backs to oil companies. I can go on forever about this topic, but it is one that dies once it leaves my lips (or finger tips).
ReplyDeleteI think when the government start messing with education, that's when I know something is really wrong with the economy. Most people come to community college because they can't afford a 4 year university.
ReplyDeleteTo do something about the funding for community college, we have a petition going on that I'm apart of. If you haven't filled it out, then you can go to: http://www.advancepa.net/ and fill out the petition.
These are some interesting facts you give, but I am curios what was Governor Rendell’s budget in 2009 or 2010? I know he had a special respect for education and it was a priority during his term as governor. I believe the new governor will severely cut the education budget during the next few years and community colleges will feel it the most as any money left over for education will be earmarked for K-12. These cuts couldn’t come at a worse time as more and more people are going back to school to get a degree or recertify their skills during this economic doldrum. Community College plays an important role in education our society and it must not be lost. It is a quality education at an affordable price. If the schools must increase their tuition there may be less students who will go, and this could have a drastic affect on society for generations.
ReplyDeleteEducation is the most important thing ever! How can anyone go anywhere without knowing how to read, do math work, know a little bit of history, and logic?? Cutting budgets is like saying "we want the future to fail". Instead of doing things we don't really use, how about putting money toward something good? Like education, and helping future teachers out??
ReplyDeleteVery good post!
These facts are interesting. Isn't the main reason students go to Community College is because it's not only cheap but it saves money for when if they do transfer to another college. Rendell cutting budgets for Community Colleges is wrong. What if the roof collapse or a fire happened at the college? If the college doesn't have enough money to fix the problem then the college could close and the students would be out of luck.
ReplyDeleteI think the politicians should learn to think a little better. Cutting education for a nation is like cutting off it's arms and legs, aka that nation would be crippled harshly.
ReplyDeleteThis topic really hits home for all of us since we need to spend our money for going to college. The statistics really help put things in perspective. I’ve seen the tuition increase over the past few years myself. That’s crazy that our school is the second highest tuition community college in PA, and tenth in America! I don’t know if I can complain to that though. This is a damn fine school and the best in PA I hear. There are other community colleges that just flat our stink compared to the expertise in teachers we have at Bucks. I won’t complain too much. I think we pay for what we get, and what we get is definitely worth it.
ReplyDeleteI laugh at this post, not because its truth but because of its one lie, which is that the government doesn't have enough money to fund schools. The government is in a 10 trillion dollar debt yet they still print millions of dollars a day that is backed up by absolutely nothing. They keep printing and printing for no reason. so the fact is that the government has money to give but why they don't cannot be explained.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad when you hear that funding is being cut for community colleges. The reason I'm taking classes at Bucks is because I can't afford to pay tuition at a 4 year college. In all honesty I can't afford to take classes hers at Bucks.
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