Community Colleges Surpassing Universities

Not too many years ago looking for inexpensive online education felt like looking for a needle in a haystack. Most distance education, offered by schools or vendors set up specifically for that purpose, charged tuition twice or even three times community college or even a university rates.

Times have changed. Many community colleges now offer online courses at very affordable rates. Community colleges have surpassed universities and other online schools as the preferred choice for many students. In my area, Heartland Community College offers tuition rates of only $88 per credit hour (classroom), much cheaper than universities in this area. Heartland also offers certificate programs for those who need to get trained and get a job quickly.

The reason for this? It's called recession. Laid off workers, unable to find employment in their field, turn to community colleges to become more competitive in the job market. These students, whether they be returning college graduates or first time enrollees, seek to update skills or train for a totally new field. Retirees, who lost retirement funds through investments, hope that education will assist them in securing a job. On top of that, many parents, hit by the recession, look to community colleges for less expensive education for their children.

Changes in enrollment

Nationally, the number of students enrolled in credit-bearing courses at community colleges in fall 2009 increased by 11.4% from fall 2008 and 16.9% from fall 2007. Full-time enrollment at U.S. community colleges increased

24.1% in a 2-year time period from fall 2007 to fall 2009.The largest percentage change from fall 2007 to fall 2009 occurred in U.S. towns and in the Rocky Mountain region. http://www.aacc.nche.edu/newsevents/News/articles/Documents/ccenrollmentsurge2009.pdf

36 States cut budgets for their public colleges

At least 36 states have cut assistance to public colleges and universities, resulting in reductions in faculty and staff in addition to tuition increases. The University of California is increasing tuition by 32 percent. Tuition at all 11 public universities in Florida increased by 15 percent for the 2009-2010 school year. Students in Washington and other states face significant tuition increases as well, costing families hundreds of dollars per year. Michigan and New Mexico have made deep cuts to need-based financial aid programs. http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=1214

Illinois State University and the University of Illinois deal with budget shortfalls

A Message from President Bowman (Illinois State University President) on the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Situation: The University of Illinois has announced cost-cutting measures, including mandatory furlough days and a hiring freeze, in response to the backlog of unpaid state of Illinois appropriations to state universities. While Illinois State has not escaped the backlog of unpaid state appropriations, we have received nearly 15 percent of our total fiscal year 2010 appropriation to date. The University is using unrestricted funds and operating reserves to continue to provide the high quality education our students deserve. An extremely cautious FY2010 spending plan has allowed the University to avoid overextending its near-term financial commitments, and there were no salary increases for non-negotiated faculty and staff members. While Illinois State is doing all it can to communicate with legislative leaders and state policy makers about our University and its needs, we understand that the state is in a deep and troubling economic time. mediarelations.ilstu.edu/isuhome/budgetupdate.asp

University of Illinois to implement furloughs

The University of Illinois announced Tuesday, January 12, that it will use "unprecedented" furloughs and wage and hiring freezes to help fight mounting economic problems resulting from lacking state appropriations.The plan will help the University cut $82 million from its operating budget to compensate for the $436 million backlogged appropriation dollars from the state. About 11,000 employees and 75 administrators will be affected by the furlough decision. The University's vice presidents, associate vice presidents, deans of colleges, chancellors and Ikenberry himself will be required to take 10 furlough days by June 15, 2010, according to a University press release. Administrators must take two days off each month beginning in February. Athletic Director Ron Guenther is also included in this pool. Faculty members and academic professional staff will be required to take four furlough days by May 15, 2010, according to the press release. Staff must take one day off each month beginning in February.

High-paid Illini Coaches Ron Zook and Bruce Weber will be required to take a four day furlough, as opposed to 10 days.The press release said the following people are not forced to take any furlough days: employees who earn $30,000 or less for their annual base, employees whose retirement agreement occurs before Aug. 15, 2010 and individuals who are paid 100 percent from grant or contact funds as of Dec. 15, 2009. The University will seek "comparable cost reductions" for Civil Service staff. The University also enacted a hiring freeze and postponed interim wage increases on Tuesday.

State of Illinois 7 months backlogged in payments

Knorr said the University had received seven percent of FY 2010's state appropriation since last July, making the state seven months backlogged in its payments. He added that the University did not receive the its final payment for FY 2009 until Sept. 25, 2009. "At some point we will be unable to meet payroll and complete the academic year unless there are significant payments from the state as promised," Ikenberry said in a press release. He added that there will also be further "tough judgments" made by the University. The University has not dipped into its $160 million endowment fund, which would only occur in "extreme measures," Knorr said. He said other areas that provide funding for the University, including private giving, federal support, tuition and auxiliary enterprises, are in good shape.

Interested in speeding up your education? Consider CLEP or DSST

For those living in rural areas, attending school can be problematic. Driving several miles, then sitting in a classroom just adds two more burdens to an already full plate of caring for a family (possibly children and parents), running a household, and searching for employment. Several community colleges, located across the nation, have implemented new technology, content development tools, and use of online video services (like YouTube) to offer education to students throughout the world. Now if a local college doesn't offer the program a student wants, or if the program is too expensive - the student can turn to online offerings of another community college.

CLEP

In recent years, the College Board has been promoting its College Level Examination Program CLEP) tests. These tests are fully accredited and can be used for many of the general education and even core requirements of many degree templates. The tests are administered in approved testing centers and are closely proctored to prevent cheating. CLEP tests are computer-based, online tests that consist of roughly 80-120 multiple choice questions. Because the test is computer-based, the candidate's score can be tallied as soon as the test is completed. CLEP's passing grade is a 50 (roughly equivalent to a C-grade) and is scaled all the way to 80 (roughly the equivalent of an A-grade) for a perfect score. CLEP operates on a pass or fail basis, in that the actual grade does not determine credit awarded, but is strictly based on whether the candidate passes or not. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distance_learning)

DSST

In addition to CLEP tests, the Dantes Standardized Subject Tests (DSST) is also frequently used to cover areas that CLEP does not offer tests in. These are very similar in format and administration to CLEP, being computer-based, online, and proctored, with immediate test results available. DSST also offers a number of its exams in paper based format, though they must be sent in to DSST's offices for grading, resulting in a delay for application of credit. Traditionally, DSST has used a grading system nearly identical to that of CLEP, but has recently been overhauling its tests and applying a new grading system, with a 300-500 point grade, with 400 as the passing grade. Credit is awarded based on pass or fail. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distance_learning)

Following is a list of community colleges in or near Central Illinois

Black Hawk College
Moline, IL

Carl Sandburg College
Galesburg, IL

Danville Area Community College
Danville, IL

Heartland Community College
Normal, IL

Highland Community College
Freeport, IL

Illinois Central College
East Peoria, IL

Illinois Community College Board
Springfield, IL

Illinois Valley Community College
Oglesby, IL

John Wood Community College
Quincy, IL

Joliet Junior College
Joliet, IL

Kankakee Community College
Kankakee, IL

Kaskaskia College
Centralia, IL

Kishwaukee College
Malta, IL

Lake Land College
Mattoon, IL

Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey, IL

Lincoln Land Community College
Springfield, IL

Parkland College
Champaign, IL

Rend Lake College
Ina, IL (offers waivers for those over 60)

Richland Community College
Decatur, IL

Rock Valley College
Rockford, IL

Sauk Valley Community College
Dixon, IL

Shawnee Community College
Ullin, IL

Spoon River College
Canton, IL

Wabash Valley College
Mount Carmel, IL

http://www.state.il.education/communitycolleges.html

http://www.iecc.edu/tuition/compare.html
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges tuition rates compared to other area colleges and universities*.
2009 - 2010
Frontier Community College2 year / Public$1,920 / yearLincoln Trail College2 year / Public$1,920 / yearOlney Central College2 year / Public$1,920 / yearWabash Valley College2 year / Public$1,920 / year Other Illinois & Indiana Institutions Eastern Illinois University 4 year / Public $9,907 / year Greenville College 4 year / Private $19,300 / year Illinois State University 4 year / Public $11,392 / year Indiana State University 4 year / Public $7,900 / year Ivy Tech State College 2 year / Public $6,200 / year Lakeland Community College 2 year / Public $4,900 / year McKendree College 4 year / Private $20,570 / year Murray State University 4 year / Public $10,500 / year Nashville Auto Diesel College 1 year / Private $23,000 / year Northern Illinois University 4 year / Public $7,900 / year Oakland City College 4 year / Private $15,000 / year Southern Illinois University Carbondale 4 year / Public $9,000 / year Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 4 year / Public $7,800 / year University of Evansville 4 year / Private $26,756 / year University of Illinois Champaign 4 year / Public $16,684 / year University of Illinois Springfield 4 year / Public $8,400 / year University of Southern Indiana 4 year / Public $8,500 / year Vincennes University 2 year / Public $8,500 / year Western Illinois University 4 year / Public $9,100 / year

*Rates are based on 32 credit hours per academic year. All public institution rates are based on in-state and out-of-state residency rates (depending on where the universities are located). Rates were obtained from the Internet and phone surveys.

Illinois Eastern Community Colleges District 529 will not be held liable for discrepancies in tuition rates. Illinois Eastern Community Colleges District 529 does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, or national origin. IECC adheres to the Federal Regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and offers appropriate services with reasonable accommodations to any qualified disabled individual upon request. Illinois Eastern Community Colleges' Board of Trustees has adopted the Substance Abuse Policy. Students and employees involved in substance abuse, within the college environment, are subject to disciplinary action.