Mt. Hood Community College Fall Term Enrollment Up

Enrollment figures at Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC), based on total full-time equivalency (FTE) from the fourth week of the term, showed an increase of 13.7 percent compared to last year at this time.

The high growth has followed statewide and national trends that started during the economic recession as unemployed Oregonians turned to local community colleges for job training and higher education degrees. However, the increased enrollment has not alleviated the College’s budget concerns.

“Our registration increase has risen with the unemployment rate,” said MHCC President John J. “Ski” Sygielski. “However, the increased enrollment has created additional demands on College resources and services that are further complicated by the reduction of state funding. We will continue to seek solutions while we strive to meet the needs of our growing student population.”

This year, the College’s state funding was reduced by nearly $2.5 million, which severely affected MHCC’s general operating budget and necessitated the use of College reserves. Another challenge revolves around MHCC’s savings. The College has a reserve fund of 1.75 percent of a $52 million general operating budget, which is less than the College’s target of 3 percent for fiscal year 2009-10. The MHCC District Board of Education has a goal of an eventual 5-percent reserve. In addition, there is no protected contingency budget, which is necessary in the event of unexpected budget expenses such as weather-related damage.

MHCC is currently exploring and implementing solutions to help resolve current and future budget challenges while helping more than 31,000 students to attain their educational goals. For more information about MHCC’s budget challenges, visit http://www.mhcc.edu/budget.