WELDON — How would Halifax Community College (HCC) be impacted by Gov. Bev Perdue’s  2011-12 budget? President Dr. Ervin Griffin Jr. discussed some key issues facing community colleges  during Tuesday’s trustee meeting.

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“We need help with the budget priorities as noted and I would appreciate all help that the Board of Trustees can provide,” he said.

Perdue has recommended a tuition increase of $8 per credit hour and set aside 20 percent to provide need-based financial aid to community college students. This would represent a 38 percent increase over two years.

He said the recommended tuition increase should be reduced to $5 per-credit hour and set aside 25 percent.

“A $5 per-credit hour increase would represent a 31 percent jump in tuition for our student over the last two years,” Griffin said.

Another item is fully funding enrollment growth. An additional $85 million is needed to meet the burgeoning enrollment at all 58 community colleges. This is 31,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) students since August 2009.

The FTE for HCC in 2008-09 was 1,277 and it is estimated at 1,592 for this year.

“The increase in FTE could be up to 315 FTE due to our enrollment increases,” he said.

Another issue is reducing the management flexibility cut to no more than two percent.

“The proposed cut of 3.5 percent reduces colleges’ per student funding, which is already below public school and university levels,” he said. “Reductions to per student funding further hinder colleges’ ability to offer high-cost programs such as technical education and healthcare programs.”

Last year, the management flexibility cut for HCC was $251,087.

“We cannot continue to do more if that is to increase by 3.5 percent,” he said.

Fully funding equipment growth is another issue facing community colleges.

Griffin said the $5 million request is needed to pay for additional equipment demands brought on by the enrollment explosion faced by community colleges this year.

“Fulfilling this request and including equipment growth in the continuation budget will help keep our equipment needs moving in a positive direction,” he said.

For instance, he asked the Vocational and Technical Faculty what it would cost to update and modernize our equipment and the needs totaled $600,000.

“In addition, we need to continuously update computers. In the library alone, there are 68 seven-year old computers. Additional campus technology needs total $89,000,” Griffin said.

Another item was increasing the community re-entry education at state prison facilities at higher than the proposed $19.8 million recommended by the Governor.

“Restoring a higher portion of the original $32 million cut would allow full funding for Basic Skills programs and some level of job skills training, including both continuing education and curriculum courses,” he said. “These programs help prepare offenders for workforce opportunities.”

If the college is funded for the curriculum FTE of 132 earned this year in the Re-Entry Education programs at Tillery and Caledonia, HCC will lose about $643,104 in funding for the upcoming year.

“In addition, we will not be able to keep the eight curriculum faculty now employed and the 85 slots vocational/educational positions available to the inmate populations will not be filled,” Griffin said.

There are also questions about dual enrollment. Griffin said any proposed change to the programs that accelerate college completion should be delayed until at least until January 2011 to allow time for colleges to adequately prepare and communicate with students and parents.

A final issue noted by Griffin was the Joint Select Committee on State Funded Student Financial Aid is considering a proposal requiring all N.C. community colleges to participate in the federal direct loan program.

The committee is poised to make recommendations to the 2010 session that includes a requirement that all 58 community colleges participate in the federal direct student loans.

“The system office has asked for flexibility to restructure funds from instruction to student support to manage this expected requirement and to manage unprecedented student demand for financial aid,” he said.

If the recommendation is enacted, colleges are requesting a start date of July 1, 2011.

For 2008-09, students at the college received $4.1 million in financial aid. So far this year, students have received $7.1 million.

“It’s helping people,” Griffin said.

Trustees also learned the college has enrolled 445 students for summer classes. Last year, only 399 students enrolled.

“Fall 2010 enrollments for our returning students are 586 students at this point,” he said. “We are off to a great start.”