As a result of all of our efforts together, the Legislature passed, and Governor Murphy signed, a state budget for FY 2024 that includes a truly historic investment in Community Colleges.
Thank you for your efforts to engage the state legislature and the Governor these past few months. More than 650 people took the time to send more than 17,000 emails to the legislature and the Governor in the past six months.
The budget includes $169.123 million in state operating aid to community colleges, an increase of $20 million from FY2023. This is the largest single increase in state aid to community colleges in at least the last 30 years. In the past three years, the state has increased operating aid to community colleges by $35 million, an increase of 26%.
This increase was added by the legislature with strong support from Senator Ruiz, Senator Singleton, Senator Zwicker, Assemblywoman Pintor Marin, and Assemblywoman Carter. Senate President Scutari and Assembly Speaker Coughlin were critically important to this investment. Members of both parties lent their support to our budget request.
The state budget also includes an expansion of the Community College Opportunity Grant program with a third tier of eligibility for individuals in households between $80,000 to $100,000 AGI receiving one-third of the cost of tuition at a community college and other critical investments in community colleges and their students.
The Council released the this statement in response to the State Budget. Click here to review.
We achieved this significant investment in community colleges through a broad and sustained effort to engage first the Governor's Office and then to engage the State Legislature.
This state budget is a significant step forward in New Jersey's efforts to remain competitive in a rapidly changing, global knowledge economy while helping more New Jerseyans earn postsecondary degrees and credentials that will enable them to have family sustaining careers.
Thank you for lending your voice in support of community colleges.
Please consider taking a few minutes to send an email to the Legislature and the Governor expressing appreciation for the state budget.
The two campaigns to thank Governor Murphy and the legislature can be found at:
https://www.njccc.org/legislative-action-center