Consultant: Nevada's community college funding below average

A national consultant said Wednesday funding for most parts of Nevada's university system is "in the middle of the pack" when compared with its peers.

But Dennis Jones, of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, told the legislative committee studying higher education funding that Western Nevada Community College and Community College of Southern Nevada are below the line.

Overall, he said, none of the campuses collect far above or below what their peer campuses around the nation receive: "Nobody's getting rich; nobody's starving."

"The two I would pick out of this that are less well funded are Western and Southern Nevada," he said.

He said of all the campuses in the state, the University of Nevada, Reno is best off, in part because of the private contributions, federal gifts and research grants it is able to raise. In part because of the medical school, he said UNR has nearly $24,000 per student.

UNLV, he said, has revenues of $13,328 per student.

For community colleges, the totals drop dramatically with CCSN reporting $6,963 per student and WNCC $7,714.

At WNCC and CCSN, he said, "there an awful lot not getting done" in terms of maintenance and other things. He said the money the campuses have is going largely into instruction.

He said throughout the Nevada system, tuition and fees are lower than averages around the nation - "but that's a policy decision."

Jones presented his findings to lawmakers and regents who are looking into future funding needs for the entire university system.

Contact Geoff Dornan at nevadaappeal@sbcglobal.net or at 687-8750.