Where is our “education” governor? Underfunded community colleges need funding now to train young people for better paying jobs

 New Rural Virginia readers may recall that Glenn Youngkin campaigned to be our “education governor”.  Well, on April 14th, the Governor went on CNBC to announce that, thanks to the economic recovery (and, dare we say, the sound economic stewardship of his predecessor), Virginia’s revenues had risen 22% in March and the state treasury was $2.4 billion ahead of this time last year!  What a nice house-warming present to an incoming governor!

 And what did the governor suggest that Virginia do with that surplus?  Use it to fulfill his pledge to be the education governor?  Not so much.  Instead, he and Republican legislators are pushing for $5 billion in… tax cuts.

 Of course, we all love tax cuts.  But if you are the education governor, why not see this surplus as an opportunity to make up for decades of state under-funding of education -- and specifically of our community college system? 

 Virginia ranks near the bottom of the country in per-student state support of community colleges, according to multiple studies.  That’s thousands of dollars per student less than the national average and even neighboring states like West Virginia and North Carolina. 

 Even the business community is arguing for more higher education spending.  As the Virginia Business Education Council put it in launching its Growth4VA campaign last year, we should “urge Virginia’s elected leaders to seize a once-in-generations chance to invest in higher education.”  

 To be sure, there was some important progress under the previous administration.  

Former Governor Northam created an amazing new program called G3 which, combined with federal student aid, makes tuition-free community college available to low- and middle-income students who pursue jobs in very specific high-demand fields.  However, G3 (as well as an earlier program, Fast Forward) only targets specific fields and does not by itself reverse the decades of under-funding.  Today’s record budget surplus is a wonderful opportunity to change that.

 Imagine, for example, how much more could be accomplished if Virginia just increased its spending on community colleges to the national average? After all, these schools play an especially critical role in rural communities -- for employers, because they provide the trade and technical training that is crucial to a modern rural economy; but also for rural youth, because they are far more affordable than our public, four-year universities.  Or what about a different measure – why not bring per-student state support back to what it was two decades ago?  

 And what does that current underfunding mean for students and their families?  That, outside of specific programs like G3 and certain income brackets, they can expect to pay more than $6,000 for tuition and fees (even more with living expenses) for one year at a Virginia community college.    

 These rising student costs have likely contributed to a steep decline in enrollment in Virginia’s community college system over the last two years.  In short, what is the better investment in rural Virginia’s future – a tax cut or better funding for education?  That is the question for our governor and our legislators.

 Want to read more?  Try:

With Virginia revenues surging, Youngkin touts tax cuts, Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 14, 2022

 States Look to Community Colleges to Fill Labor Gap, Pew Trust’s Stateline, April 14, 2022

State Higher Education Finance Report, Virginia

Virginia Business Education Council’s Growth4VA campaign 

 Virginia Higher Ed Funding Has Miles to Go: Education Reform Now