Community College "Talking Points"

California’s community colleges represent the largest system of higher education in the world. The students that come out of our community colleges become part of a well-trained workforce that includes nurses, police officers, EMTs, firefighters, auto technicians, machinists and high-tech workers. Community colleges helped put California into the Top 10 economies in the world. They are vital to maintaining a vital middle class in this state. (Example: [Local college] has a [nursing] program that provides trained workers for area [hospitals]).
According to a study conducted by California’s community colleges, UCs and CSUs, if 2 percent more Californians had associate’s degrees and another 1 percent more earned bachelor’s degrees, California’s economy would grow by $20 billion, our state and local tax revenues would increase by $1.2 billion a year, and 174,000 new jobs would be created.
California’s entire public education system, K-16, is in danger due to ongoing budget cuts.
Lawmakers have cut more than $17 billion from public schools and colleges in the past two years – the greatest single cut to education since the Great Depression. California’s community colleges were cut by $520 million in 2009-10 alone, representing 7.9 percent of their overall budget.
(Local College has had $__ million in budget cuts, while at the same time, enrollment has soared. The cuts have resulted in the elimination of entire programs including [name programs], [number] course sections, and now much of the summer program).
Eliminating programs and reducing course offerings means fewer students can get the classes they need to earn their A.A. degrees, finish certificate programs, and transfer to four-year colleges. In turn, this has a trickle-down impact in our community. Mention any other budget cuts that will affect students, for example: The proposed elimination of the Cal Grant program will make it difficult for hundreds of [local College] students to buy textbooks and supplies.
For some, those grants make a difference in being able to stay in school or not. For students, [local college] is the gateway to a higher education and a better life. It has been the cornerstone in building a more prosperous community. Further cuts to community colleges or the CSU system will not only be a hardship on students, but on the local community and economy.
Investing in public education, K-through college, is the best way to improve our economy and our future.

How Community Colleges Benefit California

Sixty four of our colleges have fire technology programs providing 80 percent of firefighters in California.
Eighty percent of the Emergency Medical Technicians in California are credentialed at our community colleges.
Thirty nine of our colleges administer police training, accounting for 80 percent of law enforcement officers.
Seventy percent of the nurses in California received their education from community colleges.
And, if that isn’t enough, we provide 106,649 certificates each year for programs in vocational education.
Two-thirds of CSU and one-third of UC graduates begin at our community colleges.
A degree from our community colleges increases the earning capacity of our students by 63 percent in just three years. For every one dollar California invests helping our community college students complete their degree, the state receives a $3 return on that investment in wage enhancement.
Getting a community college education makes sense, and cents: A student earning an associate’s degree will earn approximately $1.6 million in lifetime earnings. That is $400,000 more than a high school only graduate during the average working career.