Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed FY26 budget calls for a cut of $20 million, or 12%, in operating aid for New Jersey Community Colleges.
Additional cuts scale back New Jersey’s commitment to free or reduced tuition for low- and moderate-income community college students, with an 18% cut to the Community College Opportunity Grant, and a 50% cut to the small but important Student Success Incentive Funding.
In response to those proposed funding reductions, New Jersey Council of County Colleges President Aaron Fichtner issued the following statement this week.
“We understand the Governor had to make difficult choices, but shortchanging our state’s investments in community colleges will hurt our economy, our state’s employers, and our residents.
“In his Budget Address, Governor Murphy celebrated the state’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship, pointing to impressive growth in health care, renewable energy, biotech, pharmaceuticals, fintech, and film and television.
“The workforce that our state’s entrepreneurs, innovators, and businesses rely on for their success in these and other sectors runs through our state’s 18 community colleges, which power the state’s economy and provide lifechanging education and career pathways to 240,000 students of all ages and backgrounds every year.
“Governor Murphy also said we need to ‘seize on this economic momentum and create a new generation of economic opportunities for everyone.’ We couldn’t agree more. And no institutions in New Jersey provide more opportunities than our state’s community colleges.
“While other states like New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, and California are greatly increasing their investment in community colleges, Governor Murphy has proposed deep cuts to New Jersey’s community colleges exactly when they are facing a $13 million increase in health care costs and persistent inflation tied to the costs of energy, goods, and services required to run their campuses.
“Our colleges also need adequate resources to fairly compensate our dedicated faculty, adjuncts, and staff. Even before this proposed budget cut, New Jersey’s community colleges rank toward the very bottom of the nation for state funding—in second to last place.
“We now look forward to working with the State Legislature and the Governor to restore the resources New Jersey’s community colleges need to build the stronger, fairer New Jersey our state’s students, employers, and communities deserve.”
