DETROIT — Community colleges in metro Detroit are raising tuition to compensate for declining property tax revenue, a move that so far has not dampened enrollment, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Tuition at Wayne County Community College District is up by 16 percent, while Macomb and Oakland community colleges have increased rates by 11 percent, the Free Press reported. Property tax revenue in Wayne County is projected to have declined by 20 percent from 2009 to 2010, the Free Press reported.
Still, community college tuition rates remain substantially lower than rates at a four-year college or university.
"It's the best deal in town," Mike Hansen, president of the Michigan Community College Association, told the Free Press, one reason that enrollment is up by 20 percent over the past five years.
In addition to raising tuition, community colleges are considering offering fewer courses, asking alumni for donations and seeking foundation grants as ways to reduce costs and increase revenue, the Free Press reported. Wayne County Community College District hopes to boost revenue by providing job training specific to businesses in the region, Chancellor Curtis Ivery told the Free Press.
Hansen said community colleges will need to collaborate more, rather than duplicating programs.
SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "Community college tuition — and enrollment — go up," July 14, 2010
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Salary survey under way," June 19, 2010
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