The Anne Arundel County executive in June approved about half of the budget the college requested this year.  

The county, which shares funding of the college with the state and student tuitions, agreed to contribute $2.1 million toward AACC’s budget for the new school year—$1.7 million less than it requested. 

According to Melissa Beardmore, vice president for learning resources management, the budget pays, in part, for faculty and staff pay increases. She said the county usually increases the amount it funds AACC every year. This year, however, it based the budget reduction on an expectation that AACC will not need the full, requested amount to compensate faculty and staff.  

Beardmore explained that because the college runs on a $115 million budget, it can work around the reduction. 

“Our assumptions [about how big our budget needs to be] differed from theirs,” Beardmore said. “However, we are very grateful that the county has been a generous and reliable funding partner for the college over the years.” 

She said the college will save money by filling job vacancies slower and hoping for a mild winter to save on utility expenses.  

“I am looking for a job in registration, so I hope they don’t need to hold too many positions open,” second-year paralegal studies student Kirolos Awad said.  

Community colleges request 29 percent of their funding from the state. This year, AACC will receive 22 percent, Beardmore said. 

“First, [the college] should figure out why the [county] is reducing the budget, and fix things from there,” first-year undecided student Christian Burgos said.  “Holding jobs open could waste people’s time.”