MOOREHEAD, Miss.–State support for community colleges across Mississippi has dwindled. That could mean tuition could go up if ways are not found to compensate for the loss.
That message came during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Wednesday, in which three members of the state Community Colleges board asked for a couple of increases from the state legislature.
“FY 24 state support comprised 38.2 percent of our overall revenue. So, that’s down 17 percent in state support,” said Dr. Austin Brooks.
The majority of the money for community colleges comes from tuition that students pay.
“We’ve done. I think, a monumental task of keeping tuition low. But, I don’t know how long we can continue to keep it as low as we are when that ratio of state support continues to go down,” said Brooks. “We’re gonna do all we can. But, I want the legislative members to be cognizant of that. The state support is so important at controlling tuition, keeping tuition low.”
One of the requests made by the board was for a salary increase. Mississippi community college instructors and professors make less than in neighboring states, such as Alabama, where on average they make $5,000 more per year.