NORWICH – The bills coming in for students attending out-of-county community colleges this year are significantly higher than previously budgeted, according to Chenango County Treasurer William E. Evans.

“They could be over budget in the $40,000 to $50,000 range,” he said. Traditionally, taxpayers pay about $750,000 for college charge backs each year.

About 480 local students attend community colleges outside Chenango. The majority enroll in Broome, Herkimer, Thompkins Cortland Community and Mohawk colleges. The number of students enrolled at TC3 more than doubled this year, Evans said.

“This is a good thing. An indicator of people going to get an education,” he told members of the Finance Committee Thursday.

However, Evans and other town supervisors would like to see the same students attend the Norwich branch of SUNY Morrisville instead. When making the decision to expand the college back in 2004, lawmakers had hoped the new, high-tech campus on Conkey Avenue would retain college-bound youths. Specifically, local funds were earmarked for a promotional recruiter for the Norwich branch of Morrisville.