HARRISBURG, Pa. – On April 14, 2020, the Board of Trustees of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, adopted a $133-million budget for 2020-21. HACC students will see no increase in their tuition for the 2020-21 fiscal year.
 
The College’s 2020-21 budget takes into account uncertainty that the coronavirus global pandemic has brought to higher education and the nation’s economy.
 
“In an effort to plan for potentially negative impact on enrollments, the 2020-21 fiscal year budget accounts for a projected 8% decrease in enrollments compared to the actual enrollments of the 2019-20 fiscal year,” said HACC President John J. “Ski” Sygielski.
 
“The full impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is yet to be determined. However, based on the initial successes of the transition to remote learning, HACC has demonstrated that it can meet the challenge and continue to offer a quality, affordable and accessible education during these uncertain and changing times. The 2020-21 fiscal year budget provides the resources needed to continue the efforts of strengthening the College’s financial position while serving our communities,” said Sygielski.
 
Flat Tuition Rates
 
The 2020-21 fiscal year budget reflects flat tuition rates for students. HACC continues to be an affordable option in the region. For example, tuition for a full-time student at HACC is approximately 25% less than the average full-time tuition at nearby four-year institutions.
 
The institutional fee for students will increase $2.50 per credit hour. The new fee totals $14.50 per credit hour.
 
Cost-Saving Measures
 
In response to the deficit in the 2019-20 fiscal year budget, the College has been implementing several cost-saving initiatives related to wages and benefits. The initiatives have resulted in an estimated savings of more than $10 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year compared to the actual expenses in 2018-19 fiscal year. Those initiatives include:

• The One-College reorganization plan continues to generate savings through reduction of employee positions to better align with existing enrollments.
• The College offered an incentive to employees who were eligible for retirement. Many of the positions that became vacant as a result of retirements were eliminated.
• The College implemented a minimum class size of nine students for all classes, resulting in a decrease in the number of classes scheduled.
• Online class size maximums were increased to be consistent with in-person class size maximums. This resulted in serving more students without having to increase the number of online classes scheduled. 

HACC Foundation Funding
 
The HACC Foundation provides millions of dollars in funding for student scholarships, innovative academic programs, state-of-the art training equipment and modernized facilities. To learn more, please visit haccfoundation.org.
 
Workforce and Economic Development
 
Sygielski said, “We continue to see reduced enrollments, consistent with guidance provided by enrollment professionals in our sector. Although there is much uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic, we remain confident in our ability to adapt and meet the needs of the communities we serve.”
 
“Over the past nine months, the College has developed and is implementing a new One-College organizational structure. Under the One-College philosophy, we can focus on the student and employment needs of the business community while ensuring the long-term sustainability of HACC,” said Sygielski.
 
For more information about HACC, including previous budgets, please see our College Fact Sheet.
 
About HACC
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, is the first and largest of Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges. HACC offers over 100 career and transfer associate degree, certificate and diploma programs to approximately 19,000 students. Also, the College serves students at its Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York campuses; through virtual learning; and via workforce development and continuing education training. For more information on how HACC is uniquely YOURS, visit hacc.edu. Also, follow us on Twitter (@HACC_info), like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HACC64) and use #HACCNews