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Community College of Rhode Island reports budget pressure, outlines Fresh Start return‑to‑college program and apprenticeship expansion
Summary
CCRI told the Senate Finance Committee it remains 17% below pre‑pandemic enrollment, is pursuing a voluntary retirement program and vacancy management to balance budgets, and reported that the Fresh Start scholarship has reengaged roughly 2,400 adult learners since 2023
The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) presented its FY2026 budget context to the Senate Finance Committee on March 25, saying enrollment remains below pre‑pandemic levels and the college plans personnel and programmatic measures to balance operations while pursuing targeted growth.
President Kastigan told the committee CCRI is about 17% below 2019 enrollment levels, which the college said has produced roughly $4.1 million in operating shortfalls. To address the gap, CCRI described a multi‑year set of actions: a voluntary retirement incentive for eligible employees; a planned vacancy float (about $10 million, roughly 100 positions) to…
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