The NCCCS was formed to bridge a perceived educational gap and in 1957 the General Assembly adopted the Community Colleges Act to fund a scheme providing places for high school graduates not intending to do bachelors degrees. The scheme also included industrial education centers to train adults in the necessary skills for North Carolina's post-war job market and in the early 1960s both types of college were unified under the system in place today.
The State Board of Community Colleges allocates funds for college costs under the Community Colleges Act. This is a legal duty and the general running of the finances is delegated to local boards of trustees. While the majority of money comes from the state, 30 percent of it originates from local and federal sources as well as from revenue raised through tuition fees. Colleges use state funds for operating expenses, buying equipment, building construction, library books or purchasing land (see references 5, page 9). The aim is to keep student out-of-pocket expenses down, providing access to affordable quality education for whoever needs it.
Since 2008, the NCCCS has been required to make $43 million worth of cuts to its operating budget (see References 4). The total budget in 2009/10 was approximately $1.3 billion, 77 percent of which was from the state and savings were made through job losses, salary freezes and a withdrawal of funding for some general education courses (see References 1). Despite the pressure to reduce costs, however, the budget summary reports that some funding priorities saw an increase and none were eliminated (see References 1).
An unprecedented increase in student enrollment echoes the rise in state unemployment as more people turn back to education when they lose their jobs. State funding cuts mean fewer resources for a larger number of students. Tuition fees went up by $8 per hour in 2008 to help meet costs but there are concerns that future increases would threaten North Carolina's commitment to affordable education.
The NCCCS sees cuts in state spending on community colleges as detrimental to the national economy as a whole. Fewer resources for students could result in many being turned away or even priced out of education. According to the organization's original mission statement the aim is to: "open the door to high-quality accessible educational opportunities that minimize barriers to post-secondary education.." and significant cuts in state funding are a threat to this commitment.