Idaho’s three community colleges make their budget pitches to lawmakers
Idaho’s three community colleges – North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls and the College of Western Idaho in Nampa – are up for their budget hearings this morning; you can watch live here. NIC President Joe Dunlap told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, “Community colleges still offer the best bang for the educational buck.” Idaho’s three community colleges are the three lowest-cost higher-ed options in the region, he said. “So there is considerable value for our citizens in our community colleges.”
The average cost to attend NIC in 2014-2015 was $3,022, Dunlap said. The college hasn’t increased its Kootenai County property tax in the last three consecutive years, he said; it’s cut its overall operational budget by $2.5 million, while establishing 17 new career and technical programs. “We have made significant strides in securing grant funding … particularly to support and begin new career and technical education programs,” he told lawmakers.
Overall, Gov. Butch Otter is recommending a 9.6 percent increase in state funding to Idaho’s community colleges next year.