Mercer Colleges Face Heavy Losses
The Times of Trenton
Erin Duffy and Carmen Cusido
March 17, 2010
School districts and municipalities aren't the only ones left scrambling after yesterday's budget address -- two of Mercer County's four-year colleges will lose a combined $10.8 million in state funding for 2010-2011 as part of a $175 million drop in higher education funding.
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) will see a $5.2 million reduction in state funding, to roughly $29.3 million from $34.5 million last year, while Thomas Edison State College will lose $5.6 million, the entire amount it received last year from the state.
While numbers have not yet been released for the state's community colleges, officials at Mercer County Community College said they're already budgeting for a 10 percent decrease in state aid for the 2010-2011 school year.
The latest reductions come on top of a mid-year statewide higher education cut of $62 million announced in February.
"This absolutely represents a tremendous challenge for us," said Matthew Golden, a spokesman for TCNJ. "Losing $5.2 million from a budget appropriation of $34.5 million is extraordinarily significant."
A nearly $11 million cut will be made across the board for state Tuition Aid Grants as well and other student assistance programs, Golden noted.
"We are very cognizant that the state's fiscal picture is dire and that higher education is one of many sectors that has been hit hard in this budget," he said.
"What makes the problem particularly unique for higher education is we've seen our budgets decreased in eight of 11 years."
Golden said officials at Ewing-based TCNJ will need more time to absorb how the budget cuts will affect programs, staffing, tuition and other factors at the institution, but said "nothing is off the table at this point."
One of the bigger proposed changes comes to Thomas Edison State College. The Fiscal 2011 budget proposes a merger of the state college with Rutgers University's New Brunswick campus.
"The combination will allow new classroom-based services for students in Trenton, while leveraging the two institutions' distance learning programming," according to a budget brief from the state's Office of Management and Budget. The budget also proposes that Rutgers take over the operations of the State Library, which is currently overseen by Thomas Edison State College, and the State Museum.
"Naturally we are opposed and disappointed in that proposal," said Joe Guzzardo, spokesman for Thomas Edison State College.
He said school officials hope to have discussions with the governor and his administration regarding the proposed plan.
"It's a radical idea," Guzzardo said of the possible merger with Rutgers, "Our format is so specialized, it is not built the way that colleges like Rutgers and most of our sister institutions like Ramapo and TCNJ are built. They're all designed to serve traditional ... college students. It's not comparing apples to apples."
Thomas Edison caters to adult students, those returning to school after a long absence, professionals looking to add a degree while working, or others who seek flexible learning programs that fit their schedules and needs.
Rutgers is facing a loss of $37.8 million in state aid based on Christie's budget proposal, which would leave the state institution with $271.6 million in state help next school year.
Though Christie did not announce changes for community colleges in his address yesterday, Mercer County Community College President Patricia C. Donohue said, "It is increasingly difficult to decrease expenses in a field where our services depend on faculty to deliver learning for students," adding that the school has cut 12 positions, including three faculty members, in the last couple of years.
Another impact to the college is to its New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship program for state residents. The program covers the cost of tuition and approved fees.
Though Christie proposes up to $1.5 million for the program, Donohue said that is insufficient to provide new scholarships for freshmen in the coming year, though the money will enable continuing students to proceed with their studies.