Fair
Use Notice
Community
Colleges Put More Dollars Than They Cost in Public Pockets
A
groundbreaking economic model has found that each taxpayer dollar invested
in a community college yields $3.00 in benefits back to the taxpayers
that support it, according to the Association of Community College Trustees
(ACCT) that released the results of a new study during a national conference
in Denver.
Based
on studies conducted in 28 states and three Canadian Provinces - comprising
more than 350 community colleges thus far - data consistently show that
community colleges return more money to the taxpayers than the colleges
receive in state and local taxpayer-provided funds.
Because
community colleges add to regional economic development and growth,
tax receipts to state and local treasuries are increased. Additionally,
savings associated with improved lifestyles (reduced crime, improved
health habits, reduced welfare dependency and unemployment), is a significant
return on investment -17 percent - to state and local governments.
Conversely,
the model illustrates that reducing or eliminating state and local public
funding for community colleges reduces state and local revenues while
increasing costs to the public in general that state and local governments
likely would be forced to increase taxes in order to offset the declines
in revenue.
By
implication, reducing public support for community colleges during lean
economic times only further exacerbates declines in state and local
revenues.
Developed
under contract between the Association of Community College Trustees
(ACCT), and CC benefits, Inc. - an economic research firm - the model's
sole mission is to analyze the economics of community colleges. Built
from several complex interrelated sub-models, the model has been instrumental
in assisting community college leaders in their efforts aimed at reducing
and in same cases, reversing, proposed cuts in state and local funding.
ACCT
is a not-for-profit association comprised of the more than 6,500 publicly
elected and appointed governing boards of community, junior, and technical
colleges in the United States and internationally.
For
more information on ACCT programs and services, visit www.acct.org
Copyright
© 2002 Community Colleges of Colorado. All Rights Reserved.
Colorado
Community College System
9101 E. Lowry Blvd.
Denver,CO80230/ 303-620-4000
"Sponsored
in part by the Colorado State Employees Credit Union (CSECU)...check
them out!"
http://www.csecu.org/
________________________________________
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Fair
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