Counties Welcome Additional Grant Funding for Community College Capital Projects

On March 15, 2023, Associate Policy Director Brianna January submitted testimony to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee in support of SB 918 – Higher Education – Community College Facilities Renewal Grant Program – Alterations.

This bill doubles the amount of capital project grant funding available for Maryland’s community colleges from $8 million to $16 million. At present, the Community College Construction Program distributes existing funds in the form of $1 million grants to individual community colleges across the state, with eight community colleges receiving grants one year and the other eight the next year. SB 918 would allow all 16 community colleges to apply for and receive funding each year instead of taking turns.

By providing community colleges with the capital support they need for construction, expansion, and maintenance, SB 918 will enable Maryland’s institutions of higher education produce more graduates and qualified professionals to further develop the State’s economy.

From the MACo Testimony:

Under the current system, the State appropriates $8 million annually for the Community College Construction Program. For years, community colleges have taken turns accessing these funds, with eight of the 16 applying for and receiving $1 million grants one year and the other eight doing so the following year. This has created equity among the community colleges, but in doing so, critical capital projects go unfunded – and incomplete – every year. Under SB 918, the State appropriation would double to $16 million annually, allowing all 16 community colleges to apply for a receive significant grant funding every year.