The Need for Support

It is ironic that as the increased cost of a community college education discourages students from attending college for financial reasons, many local employers are finding it difficult to locate employees with skills needed for today’s competitive workplace. Students who are working, or who are willing to work, and are unable to meet their responsibilities and provide for their own education, need our support.

In an ideal world, SUNY community colleges would receive one-third of their support from their sponsoring county, one-third from the state, and another one-third from student tuition. The reality is that for Tompkins Cortland Community College today, New York state support is less than one-third. Our sponsoring counties are doing all they can to support the College — our local sponsor share of the budget accounts for 29 percent of the College’s total operating budget. Tuition increases have helped make up for declining support, putting a further burden on our students. Today, 85 percent of TC3 degree-seeking students depend on financial aid to fund their higher education. Increasingly, it is clear that private support is essential to ensure educational opportunity for so many students.