Illinois Budget Again Shortchanges Community Colleges

Tower Lakes, IL -- August 19, 2008 -- “Funding of Illinois Community Colleges is not a budget problem; it is a part of the Illinois budget solution,” so states the Save Community College Organization.

This assertion is based upon Illinois Community College’s extraordinary return on investment.  One documented source of this return on investment is the Illinois Community College Board, “Socioeconomic Benefits Study.”  The study declares; “Every dollar of state or local tax money invested in Illinois Community Colleges returns a cumulative of sixteen dollars over the next 30 years.”  

When Community Colleges do not receive the state’s share of public funding, tuition and fees must be increased to cover the shortfall.  Every increase in the price of higher education and workforce development results in a reduced enrollment by our citizens that have little discretionary income.  If the neediest can not obtain affordable access to higher education and/or job skills including remedial education and/or English as a second language, their earning power remains low.  With this scenario we are assured Illinois will have an increased need for unemployment compensation, welfare, social services, law enforcement and prisons!   

By cutting funding to Community Colleges, Illinois both reduces its future tax revenue and increases other future budget requirements by more than the cut!  

We state it again, “Funding of Illinois Community Colleges is not a budget problem; it is a part of the Illinois budget solution.”
 
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A public service press lease sponsored by:
Save Community College Organization Inc.  http://www.saveccs.org
An Illinois nonprofit and IRS 501(c) (3) Corporation.

Reproduction is approved.

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Richard F. Gillette, Executive Director
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