State Budget Response: New Jersey’s Community Colleges Call On Governor Murphy and Legislature to Increase Funding by $15 Million

March 8, 2022, Trenton, New Jersey – “While we applaud the expansion of the Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG) – a program that provides free tuition and approved educational fees for income-qualifying students – we are disappointed in the lack of increased funding in the proposed state budget for operating costs of Community Colleges. Sadly, state funding for Community Colleges in New Jersey ranks among the lowest in the country compared to other states,” said Dr. Aaron Fichtner, President, New Jersey Council for County Colleges (NJCCC).

Governor Murphy’s proposed budget includes no increase in state support for Community Colleges, yet New Jersey’s 18 Community Colleges serve more than 200,000 undergraduate students statewide each year. New Jersey’s Community Colleges are essential institutions of economic opportunity and critical to the state’s economic future, as we recover from the pandemic and beyond. New Jersey’s 18 Community Colleges call on Governor Murphy and the Legislature to allocate a full $15 million increase in state support as part of a multi-year effort to bring state support to levels that reflect the state’s commitment to supporting a high-quality, affordable college education for all New Jerseyans.