College raising tuition as costs rise

GREENPORT — Columbia-Greene Community College officials presented the 2008-09 budget to twin-county representatives, airing out a 4.7 percent increase in tuition amid rising operating costs.

“We think the budget overall is going to allow us to continue to provide the quality education that you want us to provide to the citizens of these two counties,” said Columbia-Greene Community College President James Campion. “We also think it’s reasonable it’s reasonable in terms of the cost of the counties and the cost of the students.”

The budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year totals $14,550,000, a $500,000 increase from last year. Tuition increased $72 per semester to $1,608, a 4.7 percent increase.

One of the most substantial increases in funds allocation for this year occurred fell under the area of energy costs. Factoring increases in the price of fuel oil and electricity expenditures.

An amount of $590,000 was budgeted for electricity in the upcoming 2008-09 year — up $100,000 from last year — and the uncertainty of how much more the current cost will increase has college officials wary going forward.

“It’s a little frightening right now,” said Vice President and Dean of Administration Joseph Matties about the rising costs of electricity. “I’ve got the pressure from fuel oil, from gas for the automobiles. … I just don’t know where they’re going.”

Discussion during the Board of Trustees meeting touched on how increased fuel costs will not only effect operating expenses, but student enrollment as commuting to campus becomes more costly.

“Is there any thought that with the financial situation, if we raise tuition that the student population would drop-off?” asked Janet Schwarzenegger, chairperson of the Curriculum and Planning Committee.

“Right now, the research and what we’re seeing in other institutions makes it very difficult to tell what’s going to happen. We don’t know the impact of five-dollar-a-gallon gas yet,” Campion responded.

Recent trends suggest that the exorbitant costs students face to commute to a college campus everyday may be the impetus of a trend toward a dorm lifestyle, according to Campion.

“Yeah, but tuition (at a community college) is a few thousand as opposed to many thousand,” said Board Vice Chairman Hugh Quigley.

Campion said that a possible scenario is that students may pick-up more work hours to afford those costs, which affected student participation in the athletic program this year.

“I think we’ll always be value,” said Quigley. “Regardless of what happens, community college will always be a tremendous value with these rising costs.”

Columbia and Greene county officials at the budget presentation were pleased with the management and restraint of the budget.

“I think the president and board have done an excellent job,” said Phil Williams, deputy chairman of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors. “We think that we can fully support it.”

The preliminary meetings that twin-county officials engaged in with the college’s board set the table for what funding could be expected, and those expectations were met on both sides of the Hudson River.

Columbia County’s share of the budget increased 3.1 percent to $2,509,798 and Greene County’s share increased 3.4 percent to $2,103,802. Share increases are calculated by student enrollment from that county during the previous academic year: 819 students enrolled from Columbia County and 687 enrolled from Greene County.

“As always, I think that Columbia-Greene provides a quality education and quality service to our community,” said Greene County Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh.

Speenburgh did, however, express some concern over the $100,185 cut in equipment costs, which he said could create an uncomfortable increase in future budgets.

The biggest concern among both county and college officials were the frozen state aid ratios per student per semester.

New York State appropriated $3,727,113, approximately a 1.7 percent increase, which local officials say is not enough to support rising operating costs.

Interim Greene County Administrator Dan Frank said that the ripple effect from lack of state aid will affect the purses of local municipalities and students alike.

The next step before the budget’s ultimate implementation in August is approval at both county levels. Public hearings will be held in both counties this summer before final approval.