BCCC Funding | Eastern NC Now

State, county fund college's operations

    WASHINGTON, N.C.     Beaufort County Community College operates on a budget funded by the N.C. General Assembly and the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners, and setting the budget each year is an intricate process.

    The state funds its 58 community colleges based on enrollment, but since community colleges accommodate different kind of students — including full-time, part-time and Continuing Education — it's far more complex than simply tallying the total number of students enrolled at each school. Enrollment numbers are standardized using a formula called Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). One FTE equates to a full-time student taking 16 credit hours for two semesters.

    Since the average community college student takes fewer hours than that, it takes more than one student to generate one FTE. The Continuing Education division, which provides programs such as workforce development and personal enrichment, uses a separate formula for FTE.

    "Everything we do is driven off of FTE", says Mark Nelson, Vice President of Administrative Services. Nelson and his staff, along with the BCCC Board of Trustees and its property and finance committees, are responsible for setting and managing the college's budget.

    Each community college receives a base allocation that equates to about six full-time faculty for curriculum programs, one for Continuing Education, and salaries for the president and essential administration. Everything beyond that is based on enrollment. For the 2014-2015 school year, BCCC received about $11.5 million in state funding. The General Assembly has yet to finalize its budget for the new fiscal year, but administrators are preparing for decreased funding.

    Beaufort County, which owns the land and buildings housing the college, also contributes to its funding. It pays for maintenance of the buildings and systems, as well as salaries for certain employees including maintenance, custodial, police and campus operations.

    "We develop a 10-year plan of what we think we'll need, and send a budget request to the county each year," Nelson says.

    The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners then allocates funding based on that request. It recently approved an allotment of approximately $3 million for the current fiscal year.

    Grants for specific programs and special projects account for approximately 5 percent of the college's budget. Other funding sources such as endowments and donations from the community are handled through the BCCC Foundation and are generally used for scholarships and emergency grants.

    BCCC has a large service area covering four counties and more than 2,000 square miles, and it serves thousands of students each year. The college relies on both the state and the county to ensure that it can continue to address the educational needs of its students and the workforce needs of the region.

    Contact: Jules Norwood
         Public Relations Coordinator

    Beaufort County Community College

     (252) 940-6387  •  Jules.Norwood@BeaufortCCC.edu

    Beaufort County Community College is a public, comprehensive community college committed to providing accessible and affordable quality education, effective teaching, relevant training, and lifelong learning opportunities for the people served by the College.