State Funding Falling Short for CWI

This week, the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) reviewed and recommended the state’s budget for higher education. The recommendations from JFAC would fund 25 percent of CWI’s request (see breakout below). Several media reports are commending the state for increasing funding to Idaho’s higher education, which is true; however, upon closer review of the details you will find that CWI did not receive additional funding to meet the College's needs.

Three key budget items are critical to our current state funding:

1. Even with the additional enrollment funding, CWI is still at 63.66 percent of the weighted credit hour funding of the other Idaho community colleges.
2. The funding for Complete College Idaho is very prescriptive on how the money must be used.
3. The governor and JFAC are also recommending an ongoing increase of three percent for Change in Employee Compensation (CEC). The budget allocated for this does not fully fund the cost to CWI. If CWI were to increase our CEC at three percent, it will cost an additional $726,200 that is not currently in the recommended funding from the state.

As you can see, if CWI follows the CEC recommendations, we will not receive enough funds from the state to cover the true costs. We are planning for performance based increases; thus, as we are working through our budgets we will continue to face challenges balancing the Fiscal Year 2017 budget.

Details on General Funding Requests and Recommendations

Enrollment Funding
Requested $1,800,000

CWI is currently at 61 percent of the weighted credit hour funding of the other Idaho community colleges

Governor’s Recommendation

• $500,000

JFAC Recommendation

• $400,000

Brings CWI to 63.66 percent of the weighted credit hour funding – still well below our community college counterparts

Complete College Idaho – Student Success
Requested $573,500 (9 positions)

Governor’s Recommendation

• $367,900
• 6 full time employees (FTE)
• Operating expense funding for professional development and travel to support the six FTE.

JFAC Recommendation

• $200,000
• 3 FTE
• Focused on advising and outreach 

Change in Employee Compensation
Recommended 3%

Governor and JFAC Recommendation

• $267,500
• Change in Benefit Cost $88,100
• Change in Compensation $179,400

Actual Cost to CWI

• $926,600
• Change in Benefit Cost $311,000
• Change in Compensation $615,000