American Association of Community Colleges: Funding Issues in U.S. Community Colleges

Many of the nation’s higher education institutions have organizations that advocate for the advancement and development of those institutions; community colleges are no exception to this thought. Founding in 1920, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has become the main “voice” of the community colleges throughout the nation and in various overseas institutions (AACC, 2011). The association represents over “1,200 two-year, associate degree-seeking institutions,” including institutions in nations such as Japan, Great Britain, Korea, Puerto Rico, and the United Arab Emirates (AACC, 2011). According to the AACC, community colleges are the “largest and fastest growing sector of U.S.  higher education,” with approximately 46% of all U.S. undergraduates enrolled in their institutions (AACC, 2011).

As with other higher education institutions affected by the economic crisis that has been brewing from the last few years, community colleges have not been immune to any of the issues surrounding funding for higher education. In 2008, the AACC sponsored the report “Funding Issues in U.S. Community Colleges: Findings from a 2007 Survey of the National State Directors of Community Colleges”. According to the report, “community college funding flows from the appropriations and federally funded workforce training programs” (Katsinas, Tollefson, & Reamey, 2008, p. 1). Of the 51 members of the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges (NCSDCC) that were resent surveys, 49 members, or their representatives, responded, representing all of the states that are members of the NCSDCC. Delaware and South Dakota did not respond, while Puerto Rico was not surveyed at the time (Katsinas, Tollefson, & Reamey, 2008, p. 2). There were respondents to this survey that noted that the colleges experienced stability in state funding, but there were some concerns about a possible decline in support – this was noted prior to the housing collapse of 2008 (Katsinas, Tollefson, & Reamey, 2008, p. 3).

The report shows that 34 of the 49 respondents indicated that they had a funding formula, but only 14 of those respondents were fully funded (Katsinas, Tollefson, & Reamey, 2008, p. 3). Although there was funding reported, tuition increases in the future was eminent, with a prediction of a 4% increase in community college tuition (Katsinas, Tollefson, & Reamey, 2008, p. 3). Even though the respondents believe that an increase in tuition would most likely occur over time, 66% of the respondents believed that enrollment caps were factors in the increase in enrollment at community colleges; other respondents, however, thought that tuition increase at the public institutions lead to an increase in community college enrollment (Katsinas, Tollefson, & Reamey, 2008, p. 3-4). 

The authors also reported that depending on location, the community colleges could face budgetary strains. Approximately 30 of the 49 respondents believed that rural community colleges would face more strain than their urban and suburban counterparts (Katsinas, Tollefson, & Reamey, 2008, p. 4). Over the last few years, we have seen that these institutions, as well as 4-year instructions, have had financial strain. As we have seen since 2008, the predictions were not that far off in that the colleges did face some problems with annual tuition increases. Despite the increase in tuition, community colleges have seen a serge in enrollments, and will more thank likely continue to see an increase as tuition at 4-year institutions increase.

About AACC (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aacc.nche.edu/About/Who/Pages/default.aspx.

Katsinas, S.G., Tollefson, T.A., Reamey, B.A. (2008). Funding Issues in U.S. Community Colleges: Findings from a 2007 Survey of the National State Directors of Community Colleges [Report].Washington, DC: American Association of Community Colleges. Retrieved from http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Publications/Reports/Documents/fundingissues.pdf.