Garden State Times

TRENTON, N.J. – Northwest New Jersey lawmakers, including Sen. Parker Space, Assemblyman Michael Inganamort, and Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, are urging Gov. Phil Murphy and the Democratic administration to reverse a $20 million cut to community colleges in the state. They emphasize the importance of fairly funding the county college sector to prevent potential tuition increases on students and negative impacts on workforce development.

"New Jersey simply cannot afford to continually underfund community colleges. They play a vital role in our state’s workforce development efforts and provide affordable access to a diverse body of students who have a desire to earn a degree or certificate," said Sen. Parker Space. "The astounding lack of investment in our community colleges by the state is shortsighted and hurts educational opportunities."

Assemblyman Michael Inganamort expressed concerns about the implications of the cut on Sussex County Community College, the County College of Morris, and Warren County Community College, stating, "The governor’s claim of significant investment in New Jersey’s county colleges is simply false. New Jersey has one of the worst state-funded county college systems in the country, even before this cut. It’s time for the state to reverse course."

Aaron Fichtner, president of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, highlighted the potential consequences of the proposed reduction, stating that it jeopardizes the operation of the 18 community colleges in the state, which serve over 230,000 residents and power key industries. Fichtner emphasized that colleges may be forced to make difficult decisions such as raising tuition, cutting programs, and reducing staffing.

Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia pointed out the impact of the funding cut on economically disadvantaged college students, stating, "Roughly 55% of community college funding comes from students paying tuition. We can’t support a state budget that unfairly burdens our most economically disadvantaged college students."

Currently, only about 20% of funding for community colleges comes from the state, making it one of the top five most underfunded systems in the nation. County college officials are seeking answers regarding the rationale behind the decrease and plan to attend the first public budget hearing on March 11 to advocate for the restoration of funding.

The lawmakers and college officials are committed to working with stakeholders to prioritize funding for community colleges and highlight their invaluable contributions to the state's educational and workforce development efforts.