Less money, but more student demand, for technical colleges

Deborah Ziff:

State technical college officials say it will be difficult to respond to the heightened needs of laid-off workers given a cut in funding in Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed budget.

Doyle's budget would eliminate $4 million from state technical colleges over the next two years and would bump up student financial aid only slightly.

The colleges, a main resource for people seeking new job skills, also likely will need to return at least $1.8 million to the state's main account this spring under a budget repair bill.

"This is not a pretty picture at a time when the state really needs its technical colleges and we have so much demand," said Paul Gabriel, executive director of the Wisconsin Technical College District Boards Association.

While University of Wisconsin students would get at least $36 million more in financial aid under Doyle's budget, the increase in aid to state technical college students would be about $1 million, or less than one percent.

"It's fair to say we were extremely disappointed that there are significant new financial aid resources in the state budget, but not for the most part targeted at technical college students," Gabriel said.

Some laid-off workers can get free tuition under federal benefits, and Doyle's budget includes at least $1 million in grants to help retrain workers.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at February 23, 2009 1:01 AM
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