Dr. Linksz held a meeting on March 3 in Founders Hall to explain the effects of recent funding changes at Bucks.

The meeting was attended by 30 to 40 members of the faculty and staff. Linksz explained what was happening at the local, state, and federal levels and how those decisions would affect Bucks’ budget.

At the local level, community colleges are supposed to be funded one-third by the state, one-third by the county, and one-third by the students’ tuition. However, the students at Bucks are paying about 43 percent of this instead of one-third.

The leaders of community colleges in the state are trying to form a board similar to those which govern universities so they can be sure that the state pays its third of the money.

Governor Ed Rendell wants to revise the formulas used to calculate how much money the community colleges receive.

Rather than rely on the continuously changing numbers that they use now, Rendell wants to be able to have a number he can count on. He wants to increase the amount of money given per student, but base it on an average number of students from previous years rather than current ones.

Linksz said it would also be nice for Bucks to know the amount of money coming in so that they can plan accordingly.

Also, the stipends that the college receives will vary depending on the demand of the workforce. More money will be given if the program is in higher demand. Less money will be given to programs that are not as demanding. The state wants to be sure their dollars are put where the need is the greatest.

Linksz said that the fact that the funding of community colleges are on the agenda in the commonwealth is a step. The state also wants the college to continue on the Bristol project that they have planned.

At the federal level, the Higher Education Act is up for reauthorization, and the Perkins and Pell grants are going to be changed as well.

Pell grants are only awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. They do not need to be paid back and are based on need. Bush wants to put more money into the Pell grants, which will help some students, but that money has to come from somewhere.

Bush’s ultimate goal is to reduce the deficit, this means taking money away from something else. This puts all higher education at risk for funding, not just community colleges.

The effects of these things on Bucks include the tuition increase. “It’s not what we intended,” said Linksz, but was a necessary step.