Idaho’s three community colleges, North Idaho College, College of Western Idaho and College of Southern Idaho, got a budget boost today from the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, though it fell far short of the funding the colleges requested in the face of ballooning enrollment at the state’s newest community college, CWI. The budget set this morning by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee boosts state general funds for the colleges to $30.2 million, an 8.9 percent increase, matching the governor’s recommendation; the colleges had requested a 40.3 percent increase to $39.8 million.
The joint committee’s budget moves some funds around to make sure each of the colleges gets a small budget boost; otherwise, the lion’s share of the funds still go to fast-growing CWI in the Treasure Valley, because it’s seen the most dramatic enrollment growth. NIC will get $250,000 that it requested to increase dual credit and college-level core class offerings to high schools in the northern counties. CSI will get $180,000 to hire additional staff to accommodate a jump in enrollment in its registered nursing program. And CWI will get $900,000 of the $1.25 million the governor had recommended to improve student services, including counseling and students to veterans and services with disabilities.
In addition, the Enrollment Workload Adjustment for the community colleges was fully funded for next year at $855,900. Most of that - $783,500 – goes to CWI. CSI will get $46,800 and NIC gets $25,600.
Betsy Z. Russell covers Idaho news from The Spokesman-Review's bureau in Boise.
Named best state-based political blog in Idaho for 2013 by The Fix
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