NJ community colleges consider raising tuition, cuts as state financial support withers

New Jersey's 18 community colleges say they will likely raise tuition, increase class sizes and trim programs and services as they face a large reduction in state financial support.

Collectively, the colleges will see a roughly $20 million cut in state aid this year, a decrease in funding of about 12%, according to the New Jersey Council of County Colleges. The 230,000 students enrolled in community colleges are likely to feel the impacts, said Aaron Fichtner, president of the Council of County Colleges.

Community colleges "are an essential path to economic opportunity and educational ability for students," said Fichtner. "We train and educate the workforce of the future."

The state cuts come "at a time when we believe we need to move forward as a state and make investments in our future, (but) we're now moving backwards," he said.

Brookdale Community College is facing a roughly $1.5 million reduction in state aid, said college President David M. Stout. The college is dealing with inflation that is driving up the prices of salaries, employee benefits and utilities, he said.

"What we're not really willing to do is to have a negative effect on the student experience," Stout said. "In terms of advising, in terms of financial aid, students will still have access to those (support personnel), but the waits might be longer. The number of students in a classroom might actually have to be larger than what we're comfortable with, because we have to have fewer adjunct instructors actually teaching our courses."

Stout said tuition for Brookdale will also increase $9 per credit. Tuition and fees for Monmouth County residents to attend Brookdale are $197.38 per credit hour for the spring 2024 semester, or $2,960.70 for a full-time courses of 15 credits. The increase would add about $135 to the total cost of a 15-credit semester.

The increase is "is larger than what we would like, (but) not as large as what we really need," the college president said.

Ocean County College is in a similar position. Like other community colleges in New Jersey, administrators here are considering raising tuition, leaving positions vacant, increasing class sizes and cutting back on other services, such as tutoring, said President Pamela Monaco.

"Community colleges have been underfunded for a very long time, yet we are responsible for so much of the quality education for a variety of students: those who are going into the workforce, those who are looking to transfer (to four-year state colleges), and students who often just don't have other options," she said. "We really are one of the engines driving the state. And when you start making additional cuts, when it's already such a very tight budget, there's no way it's not going to impact students."

Ocean County College students who reside within the county will also see tuition rise $9 per credit hour, up to $189, for the fall 2024 semester.

The cuts will hurt lower- and middle-income students who have chosen community college because classes are less expensive than at a typical four-year university, Monaco said.

The state aid cuts come at a time when enrollment at colleges and universities is declining. The overall college enrollment rate among 18- to 24-year-olds dipped from 41% in 2010 to 38% by 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Most of that decline was the result of fewer male students enrolling in college, according to the center.

Yet declining enrollment does not mean that budget cuts will not have serious impacts, said college leaders. Many incoming students today have greater challenges than students of previous generations, said Stout, of Brookdale. Many need mental health counseling, childcare, food or housing assistance, or transportation between different campuses, he said. While enrollment is down, the cost to educate each student is up, Stout said.

The old days of colleges having a "sink or swim mentality" are over, said Monaco, of Ocean County College.

"Students have chosen to come here. We want them to be successful," she said. "So many of our students are the first in their family to go to college. So they can't go home and ask parents, 'what does this mean? Or how do I do this?' We want to be able to always provide the answers and support, so every single student who comes here can be successful."

Hunter Mantz, a Marine Corps veteran from Toms River who attends Ocean County College, worries the state aid cuts could trim back services for fellow veteran students.

"Ocean County is one of the largest populations for veterans," Mantz said. "We have the VMRC (Ocean County College's Veterans Military Resource Center), which is absolutely amazing. (It is a) little slice of veteran-hood that we have at the college there, and a lot of that is sponsored by money from the college."

The veterans' center provides students who are former military with a space to meet with disability advocates, veterans service officers, or be next door to student counseling services, said Mantz, who serves as the vice president of the college's veteran student organization. The resource center also has a computer lab, free snacks and free tutoring, according to program's website.

Mantz said he worries that these benefits are in jeopardy because of the state aid reductions.

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"I just had a veteran student come in for help the other day, (he is) 63 years old. He wants to enroll in school. And these services are going to help the 18-year-old and the 63-year-old… somebody who hasn't seen a math class for 40 years," said Mantz.

New Jersey Sen. Joseph Cryan, who chairs the state's Senate Committee on High Education, wants to see more state money directed toward community colleges.

"We've obviously seen the value of community colleges grow over the past few years," said Cryan, who represents portions of Union County in the state's 20th Legislative District. "Even with a bit of a declining enrollment, we continue to see that the investments (in community college) make sense."

Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 15 years. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, aoglesby@gannettnj.com or 732-557-5701.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: New Jersey community colleges may raise tuition, slash staff