As classrooms fill and program waiting lists grow at Tennessee Technology Centers, campus directors across the state are paring their budgets for a second round of cuts.
The cuts, mandated earlier this month, come as the centers grow and state higher education officials brace for a potential third cut this fiscal year.
“When the economy is somewhat down and people are losing jobs, technical education is one of the first places they turn to,” said James King, vice chancellor for the Tennessee Board of Regents’ 27 technology centers. “They’re short-term programs without the fluff.”
Gov. Phil Bredesen said recently that state revenues could be at least $300 million below budget projections by the end of 2008.
Technology centers have had their budgets reduced by $2.9 million during this year’s cuts. The technology centers train a variety of skilled workers, from nurses and auto mechanics, machinists and welders, to computer operators and surgical technicians.
State officials ordered the second round of cuts, called an “appropriations reversion,” for state-funded colleges and universities early this month. The University of Tennessee lost $17 million in the second round of cuts, and the TBR cut $25 million from the budgets of its six universities, 13 community colleges, and technology centers.
King estimated that 29,000-30,000 students attend the centers and that enrollment is up 13 percent compared to last fall.
“Our classrooms are full to capacity,” said Jeff Davis, director of the TTC Knoxville campus.
There are 804 students at the Knoxville campus, most of them studying full time. Enrollment increased 15 percent over last fall, Davis said. Sixty-five percent of the Knoxville campus students are either career changers updating their skills or are retraining because of job loss or layoffs. The average age of TTC Knoxville students is 30.
Ninety-five percent of students are eligible for Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship money that pays $2,000 a year, enough for a year’s tuition and books, which has also attributed to the centers’ growth. Davis indicated that programs like nursing, auto tech, machine technology and computer technology remain popular and that others, like welding, have gotten more interest this year.
“The waiting list was like a year and a half to get in here,” said Joshua Wilcox, a 19-year-old Blount County resident.
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