NORWICH – The Chenango County Board of Supervisors has earmarked an additional $160,000 to foot the cost of community college expenses for 2015, closing out the year at a far greater expense than what county officials had initially expected.
The Board of Supervisors had also allocated an additional $61,000 to cover community college expenses back in November. Although $1 million for community college costs was budgeted this year, more than $1.27 million has been dolled out as of late December.
According to the Chenango County Treasurer’s Office, an increase of individuals, including high school students, who are attending a community college has climbed drastically in recent years. The increase has led county officials to call for changes in the way community college chargeback rates are applied to counties throughout the state.
“We have seen a huge increase of high school students going to community colleges,” said County Treasurer William Craine. “Unfortunately, these costs are statutory obligations. We have to pay them.”
Community colleges in New York are funded by three sources: the state, the counties and students. When a Chenango County student attends a community college outside the county, Chenango taxpayers are responsible for paying a portion of that student’s tuition, also known as a “chargeback.”
In October, Chenango County was issued community college chargeback rates set by SUNY for the 2015-2016 academic year. Those rates establish a guideline for county officials to plan a budget for the coming year.
The challenge is that the increase in individuals who enroll in community college has made community college chargeback rates unpredictable in recent years. In fact, the average community college tuition rate per student fell from $2,653 in 2009 to $2,162 in 2012. But since then, rates have climbed from $2,645 in 2013, to $2,913 in 2014, to $2,932 in 2015.
County officials have budgeted $1.25 million to cover community college expenses in 2016, but may still need to transfer funds again next year, said Craine.
Community college chargeback rates in 2014 cost county taxpayers nearly $1.2 million – approximately half of which covered the cost of tuition for students enrolled at Broome Community College. There has also been increasing enrollment at other community colleges throughout the region, including Tompkins-Cortland Community College and Mohawk Valley Community College.
The issue was up for discussion at the regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors held earlier this month.
“Norwich mentioned in the latest superintendent’s letter how many student in the high school are accessing special courses through (SUNY) Morrisville, and that it’s a real benefit to the school because they can offer more variety of courses,” said Pharsalia Supervisor Dennis Brown, referencing the ongoing partnership between Morrisville and Norwich that allows high school students to take college-level courses through the college.
The county government supports the Morrisville-Norwich partnership by paying $50 per credit hour for high school students who take offered courses. Being a much lesser expense than what community college chargebacks cost the county, that program ought to be promoted in Chenango County school districts, according to Brown.
“What we need to do is encourage local schools to buy into the Morrisville program,” he said.
In addition to Norwich, the SUNY Morrisville Norwich campus is also working closely with students in the Otselic Valley School District and looking to expand in other districts throughout the county.