Governor Reynolds recommended a $5.2 million increase for Community College general aid, which is approximately a 2.5% increase. She also recommended a $10 million increase in the Last Dollar Scholarhsip program, which is a 75% increase. She recommended maintaining the level of funding for the Skilled Worker and Job Creation program, which funds services like PACE, GAP, ABE/ELL, and workforce training and economic development. This is all good news for community colleges.
The process of bill introduction has started. Thus far, there aren't any bills that significantly impact community colleges. The Department of Education will have a bill that provides criteria for students seeking dual enrollment classes, but this should have little impact on our operations.