Editorial: CCAC’s free tuition good for students and community

‘ ‘ ‘ Last week, the Community College of Allegheny County announced a plan to help residents… ‘ ‘ ‘ Last week, the Community College of Allegheny County announced a plan to help residents weather the worst of the recession by extending tuition and fee waivers to any person who has been laid off from work within the last two years. ‘ ‘ ‘ To be eligible, an applicant only has to apply for financial aid and to provide some form of proof that his lack of work is the result of a layoff. Participants can enroll in one of five high-demand certificate or degree programs: information technology, basic electronics, phlebotomy, EMT training or nurse’s aid training. CCAC will pay for up to 36 credits in any of these programs that aren’t covered by the student’s financial aid. ‘ ‘ ‘ Programs like this could be part of the reason why Pittsburgh has a reputation as a ‘recession-proof’ community. Not only has the city been more willing to invest heavily in emerging industries and technologies such as health care, education and computer technology, but it has invested in programs to re-educate workers in these fields. ‘ ‘ ‘ According to the CCAC Web site, 92 percent of graduates from the school’s programs work for local employers, meaning that a trained CCAC student will almost definitely end up working in the county. This serves to keep unemployment low and puts more money back into the economy. ‘ ‘ ‘ CCAC’s strategy for dealing with the recession is also significantly different from Pitt’s. Last month, Chancellor Nordenberg wrote an open letter to the school detailing his plan for the hard economic struggles ahead. The letter details the progress Pitt has made in the last few years, the fact that the state will be providing nearly $11.3 million less to Pitt than in previous years and that the school’s endowment has lost nearly 22 percent of its value. It’s clear that this is, at least in part, an attempt to justify the 6 percent tuition increase for in-state students and 4 percent for out-of-state students. ‘ ‘ ‘ Of course, the goals of the two institutions are completely different, as are the costs ‘mdash; one credit-hour costs $534 at in-state rates at Pitt, versus $85.25 for an in-county resident at CCAC. However, their widely differing strategies also speak to the idea that Pitt is primarily concerned with increasing its standing and reputation, while CCAC is making an effort to help laid-off workers improve their situations. ‘ ‘ ‘ That said, there are still a few issues with the proposal. CCAC continues to operate at its normal costs, even if the school might be losing money on tuition. ‘ ‘ ‘ There should be a reliable plan in place for ensuring the cost of lost tuition doesn’t become too heavy or cut into the regular operating budget of the program. It would be a shame to lose something this helpful over nothing more than monetary concerns. ‘ ‘ ‘ Overall, CCAC’s program should be commended. Not only is it an active and progressive way of helping the residents of the county stay active in the workforce, but it makes the economy of the entire region stronger as a result.