CMC Board approves tuition differential for proposed program, reviews draft 2014-15 budget

Colorado Mountain College’s Board of Trustees held its May 2014 meeting Thursday at the college’s location in Breckenridge, followed by a retreat facilitated by a consultant from the Association of Governing Boards.

During the May 15 board meeting the trustees approved a $40 tuition differential for the pending Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, and directed college staff to develop a financial aid program for in-district students who would be impacted by the tuition differential. Trustees heard that even with the tuition differential, for in-district students CMC’s proposed bachelor’s in nursing will be the most affordable degree of its kind in the state. The college expects to hear later this summer from its accrediting body about whether the degree has received final approvals.

The meeting also included the first formal hearing of the fiscal year 2014-15 budget. Consistent with state law, the budget will receive a third and final review and trustees will take formal action to adopt it at their next meeting, which will be June 18 at the Steamboat Springs campus. The draft general fund operating budget, at $56.3 million, reflects a 1.8 percent increase over the current year’s budget, which is in line with inflation.

The 2014-15 budget is based on projections that enrollment will increase by at least 2 percent and state-based financial aid will grow by at least 50 percent.

In other action, the board approved a program fee of $400 for the college’s sustainable cuisine program, to cover the cost of books and culinary supplies. In addition, the trustees approved the forward to the new CMC policy manual, board meeting dates for FY 2014-15 and quarterly financial statements.