Appropriations Summary |
Actual[1] |
Recommended |
Savings |
Interdepartmental Grants/Transfers |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Federal Funds |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
General Fund/General Purpose |
$319,732,319 |
$290,038,170 |
$29,694,149 |
Special Revenue Funds |
$2,000,000 |
$2,000,000 |
$0 |
Gross Appropriation |
$321,732,319 |
$292,038,170 |
$29,694,149 |
The community college budget for fiscal year 2003 is comprised of two types of appropriations: those for the day-to-day operations of Michigan’s community colleges, and grants, of which there are two. Substantial and immediate savings could be realized with respect to the day-to-day operations by retroactively indexing spending to two factors: inflation and enrollment, beginning in fiscal year 1985. Community college spending has grown at a far faster rate than either factor — a development that calls for greater scrutiny of requests for state funding increases.
One of the two grants, known as the “At-Risk Student Success Program,” should be eliminated. It financially rewards community colleges for labeling students “at-risk,” duplicates other funding mechanisms for special-needs students, and increases the overall cost of funding community colleges.