Video: Pa. ranks last in region for community college affordability, makes it 'impossible' for poorest students

When community colleges in Pennsylvania were formed, the goal was for the state to contribute a third of the costs, the local sponsor to contribute another third and the rest would come from students through tuition.

But that goal hasn’t materialized. According to most recent records, the average breakdown of community college funding in Pennsylvania currently looks like this:

• 26% from the state.
• 13% from localities.
• 56% from students.

That’s far from the shared third model that was imagined.

“We have drifted away from that model due to pressures on state and local governments. The only other sources of revenue we have is student tuition and so tuition has gone up as a result of that,” said Stephanie Shanblatt, former chair of the Pennsylvania Commission of Community Colleges.

As a result, Pennsylvania has a much higher average tuition rate compared to the nation. And the rate is also higher than each of its border states.

In its most recent budget, the state did not increase funding for the operating budgets of community colleges. Advocates say the pressure on especially low-income students has grown unsustainable.

“We have students who are homeless. We have students who are food insecure. And so those tuition raises make it impossible for some people to continue,” said John Braxton, president of the Community College of Philadelphia’s faculty union.

Our data analysis found that most community colleges in counties with above-average poverty also have above-average tuition. And community colleges in more affluent counties tend to have more affordable tuition.

For students in cities like Philadelphia, that’s a tough pill to swallow.

“We’re not asking for more,” said CCP student Tria Jones, 39, a widowed mother of four. “We’re just asking for what we deserve and what was promised.”