Many of these schools are also involving the students and rewarding them for their contributions in helping the college save money. I would not be surprised if some of these budget improving exercises were thought up by the students themselves. I think these colleges are setting a good example of financial responsibility. If they can eliminate even more expenses maybe in the future this can even help make college more affordable.

Here are some of the ways that these colleges cut their expenses without directly affecting faculty jobs:

1. Got rid of unnecessary landlines. $1100/month
2. Held virtual athletics events and saved travel expenses. $900 on bus travel
3. No new faculty bus tour.
4. Less window washing. $22,300/year
5. Less sidewalk power washing.
6. Weekly trash pickup instead of daily trash pickup.
7. Made professors teach 6 classes instead of only 5.
8. Cutting back on FREE student laundry service. $150,000/year
9. Eliminating FREE ESPN and HBO in student rooms. $75,000/year
10. Eliminating one day of new-student orientation. $50,000/year
11. Putting a cap on student FREE printing per semester to $50/semester.
12. Turning down thermostats.
13. Getting rid of trays in the cafeteria. $30,000/semester
14. Reducing paper based brochures and directories and moving to digital.
15. Low flow shower head.
16. Energy-saving light bulbs.
17. Holding dorm contest to see who can reduce energy costs by the most.
18. Switching from bottled water to tap water. $10,000+
19. Rebuilding old computers instead of buying new ones.
20. Limiting vehicle purchasing.
21. Scheduling more video-conferencing creating less travel.
22. Eliminating voicemail systems and equipment now that most students and faculty use cell phones.
23. Staffing students in the summer in professional positions to give them work experience while paying them less. $725,000/year
24. Hiring students to renovate dorm rooms at minimum wage giving them a summer job.

If all colleges could implement multiple combinations of similar expense cuts, college could become even more affordable. We need to encourage colleges to be smart and follow the examples of these schools.

If you want to read the original article I pulled this information from, it’s titled “For Colleges, Small Cuts Add Up to Big Savings”. It’s a well written article and goes into details on what schools did what and how much they saved. I’d like to thank Tamar Lewin for such a great article.

“More than 80 percent of non-college goers reported that the availability of financial aid was either extremely or very important in their decision not to enroll.”

This study highlights one of the biggests frustrations of higher education: I want to go to college so I can make more money to provide for myself, but it takes money to do that. This problem is exasperated by the economic downturn that has resulted in banks loaning less money to people.

This prevalent predicament is frustrating but there are some solutions out there. Scholarships, grants, and financial aid are available to those who qualify and take the time to request it. President Obama is also making some changes to try and help people get into college programs. Obama has proposed a new piece of legislation called, “The American Opportunity Tax Credit.”

So how does this tax credit work? If you owe $5000 dollars in taxes this year but you also went to college this year and you qualify for the American Opportunity tax credit, you would only pay $1000 in taxes. If you don’t owe any taxes that year, which is the case for most college students, the government will actually give you that $4000 dollars. To receive this tax credit, the beneficiary must complete 100 hours of community service.

This opportunity is a beacon of hope to those who have the desire to attend college but lack the resources.

For more information on community colleges in your area please visit: www.mycollegesandcareers.com