State Budget Cuts Create 10% Shortfall for Full-Time LCCC Students; College Tightens Belt for $3.5 Million Savings 

The level of state support provided for Lorain County Community College creates a shortfall of over 10 percent since last year for every full-time student enrolled at the College.  This major shortfall in the state funding is part of the newly approved state budget for higher education that slashed $190 million from the higher education budget.

This shortage of state support has an even greater impact given LCCC’s record number of residents seeking further education and training during the economic downturn.  

The bottom line is LCCC is serving more students with less funding per student than ever before. Currently, more than 11,100 full and part-time students are enrolled at LCCC. The College has accommodated this enrollment growth on a campus built for 6,600 students. Since 2000, the College has experienced an 84 percent enrollment increase and funding has fallen 15.5 percent for each full-time student.

To help offset the financial impact from this loss in state funding; LCCC has implemented a number of budget measures that result in saving, recovering, or redirecting over $3.5 million.  LCCC’s belt-tightening strategies affect all areas of the college’s operations, including human resources, instruction, facilities, purchasing, and equipment.  To operate within these severely limited budget constraints, the College is taking dramatic steps including: passing along increased premiums on health insurance to employees as well as other health insurance changes; leaving vacant positions unfilled and strictly monitoring the need for positions that become vacant during the year, delaying equipment purchases, implementing energy savings plans, decreasing copying and printing, and renegotiating vendor contracts.  Shared service agreements with other higher education partners have also created efficiencies for back-office functions, such as information systems. From an instructional perspective, LCCC is experiencing a shortfall of over 20 full-time faculty, because funding has not kept up with enrollment demands.  The utilization of more adjunct faculty along with increased class sizes and redesigned courses are among the cost-cutting measures that are being implemented.  The College is also aggressively pursuing federal and state grants to fund operations and programs.

The State budget agreement for higher education also passes along increased costs to students by eliminating the statewide tuition freeze that has been in effect for the past two years. Accordingly the Ohio Board of Regents authorized colleges to raise tuition 3.5 % per year for the next two years.  LCCC’s Board of Trustees today approved the state authorized tuition increase as part of this financially-challenged budget to make up a small part of the funding shortfall.  LCCC is deeply committed to maintaining quality and therefore is forced to raise tuition. This marks the first time since 2006 that LCCC has increased tuition.

Despite this minimal tuition increase, LCCC students will be paying among the lowest tuition rates in the state.  Lorain County residents who are enrolled full-time will pay $95.50 per credit hour for tuition and fees, which is a $3.20 increase over LCCC’s current tuition. Full-time tuition per semester will be $1,241.50. LCCC’s innovative blanket tuition plan offers a significant value and discount by providing students with the opportunity to sign up for up to 18 credit hours and pay for only 13 credit hours per semester, resulting in a savings up to $477.50 each semester.  Approximately, 27 percent of LCCC’s 11,100 students use this plan.  Additionally, a 13% increase in Federal Pell Grants will assist the financially neediest with their tuition.  LCCC also offers significant scholarships and grants through the LCCC Foundation.  Students can contact the Financial Service Center at 440-366-4034 or visit online at www.lorainccc.edu/financial+aid for assistance.

LCCC students receive an excellent return on their investment since associate degree graduates earn an average of $36,058 for starting salaries, which is more than 8% higher than bachelor-degree holders. 

Registration is currently under way for the fall semester, which begins on August 17.  Information is available online at www.lorainccc.edu.

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July 17, 2009