Cuts will raise cost of tuition

State budget cuts will mean higher tuition for Augusta Technical College's full-time students beginning next month.

Full-time students must pay for 15 hours, rather than 12, which comes to a $106 increase, President Terry Elam said Friday.

"To offset cuts, you either need to make layoffs or find revenue," he said.

The Technical College System of Georgia asked each of its colleges to cut 8 percent from their budgets and to prepare for 10 percent cuts. Augusta Tech will lose $1.2 million after the 8 percent cut.

"Ten percent will mean possible program closures," Mr. Elam said. "We're hoping we will not have to."

But when asked if it was a possibility, he said, "Oh, yeah."

The college has already identified which programs would be eliminated, but Mr. Elam would not name them because personnel could be affected by the cuts.

Already, one non-instructional person has been laid off, and three other positions have been frozen, he said. Travel has been all but eliminated.

"We were told to keep cuts away from programs and students," Mr. Elam said. "We've looked at everything, including furloughs."

Fortunately, enrollment has been increasing at Augusta Tech, which has increased revenue, he said.

Mr. Elam said times are tough financially, but they aren't as bad as they were in 1991-92, when the college laid off 12 people.

Augusta Tech is much larger now, so it is able to absorb cuts more easily.

Augusta Tech has nearly 7,000 students on campuses in Augusta, Thomson and Waynesboro.

The college is closely aligned with the area's economic development, adapting to the needs of local industry and training students to immediately enter the workforce.

Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.