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Community colleges urge restoration of CADE ‘hold harmless’ after formula change; state aid rises 5%
Summary
State aid for community colleges increases about $23.8 million (5%) for fiscal 2026, but several Maryland community colleges and statewide associations urged the legislature to restore a removed 'hold harmless' clause in the Senator John A. Cade (CADE) funding formula after the change produced cuts for some colleges despite rising enrollment.
Maryland community college leaders, the Maryland Association of Community Colleges and labor and higher‑education officials told the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee that aid to community colleges increased in the governor’s fiscal 2026 allowance but a statutory formula change and the removal of a hold‑harmless provision left some colleges facing cuts despite enrollment growth.
Kelly Norton, the committee’s budget analyst, summarized the aid package and performance metrics. Norton said the fiscal 2026 aid package for community colleges rose by $23,800,000, or 5%, from fiscal 2025, with the CADE (Senator John A. Cade funding) formula and retirement support the largest components of state funding. Norton reported fall 2024 enrollment of 107,245 students and a successful persistent rate of about 72.4% for the 2019 cohort.
Why it matters: community colleges are significant workforce and economic engines across Maryland; funding changes affect dual‑enrollment programs, workforce training capacity, student supports (food, childcare,…
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