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Howard Community College seeks modest tuition increases and $21.5 million in capital support for new Trade Center
Summary
HCC told the county council it plans a roughly 6% increase in operating costs for FY26 driven by health insurance, energy and contractual costs, proposes small per‑credit tuition increases, and reported a $21.5 million capital package including state, county and college funding for a new trade facility opening in FY26.
Howard Community College officials presented their FY26 operating and capital priorities to the County Council during the council’s budget work session.
Ty Stone, HCC chief financial officer, told council members the college projects an operating cost increase of about $9 million, or 6%, driven by rising energy and licensing costs, higher health insurance (+8% earlier in the year) and a 4% cost‑of‑living adjustment for full‑time budgeted employees. The college proposed a modest tuition change: $2 per credit hour for in‑county students, $5 per credit for out‑of‑county (state‑mandated), and $15 per credit for out‑of‑state students; Stone said the package would yield roughly $350,000 in additional tuition revenue.
On capital, Stone said the college’s FY26 capital plan includes $21.5 million: an approximately $11.1 million state share, $5.0 million county contribution, $3.6 million from the college and $1.0 million for systemic renovations. HCC told council members it expects to open its new Trade Center and start classes there in August FY26; Stone said the facility was funded largely with PayGo and a state grant and that he expects operating costs to stabilize once the facility reaches steady enrollment. "Once it's stabilized, we believe that the facility will [be] breakeven even at the very least," Stone said.
The board of trustees authorized a COLA for full‑time budgeted employees, with union adjustments subject to negotiation; the college said it requested no additional full‑time FTEs in FY26 and plans to reallocate staff where feasible.
Why it matters: HCC is a workforce and transfer partner for Howard County schools and employers; its capital projects and operating plan affect workforce training capacity and the timing of program start‑ups.
What happens next: Council members asked for prorated financial details of the Trade Center’s expected tuition and operating costs and for follow‑up on financial comparisons of outsourcing HR functions (HCC uses CampusWorks under a multi‑year agreement). The college said it would provide those details to county staff and auditors.
