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College of Southern Maryland cites enrollment rebound, new aviation program and state funding caps in Leonardtown presentation
Summary
CSM President Dr. Yolando Wilson told St. Mary's County commissioners the college returned to pre-pandemic enrollment, faces cumulative state funding reductions estimated at $2.23 million under proposed formula caps, and expects nearly $1.7 million in earmarks for new aviation maintenance and wastewater programs.
Dr. Yolando Wilson, president of the College of Southern Maryland, presented the college's 2025 State of the College to the St. Mary's County commissioners on March 24, describing enrollment gains, program expansion and state funding headwinds.
Wilson said CSM has returned to pre-pandemic enrollment levels and reported a 7.7% enrollment increase in the previous fall. She told commissioners the removal of a "hold harmless" funding provision and a proposed 3% cap on annual funding increases would together cost the college about $2.23 million over three years, a figure she tied to the way the state's formula builds year-to-year on a lower base.
"When the hold harmless was removed last year, CSM saw funding cuts in spite of the fact that we have growing enrollment...the combined impact of that funding reduction and now this 3% proposed cap means a total loss for CSM of $2,230,000," Wilson said.
Wilson highlighted program expansions designed to meet regional workforce demand. She described an associate of applied science degree in aviation maintenance technology that the Maryland Higher Education Commission approved as the first of its kind in the state, an on-site cyber range at the Leonardtown campus, and a planned Southern Maryland regional quantum forum on May 20.
The president also said CSM received two congressional earmarks totaling about $997,000 for the aviation maintenance program and $732,000 for wastewater treatment programming (approximately $1.7 million combined), and that pending FAA review could allow the aviation program to launch in fall 2027 at the Center for Trades and Energy Training in Hughesville.
A CSM student, Valeria Cervantes Corona of Great Mills, told commissioners how the college's affordability and hands-on programs enabled her to pursue electrical engineering and internships at Calvert Cliffs. "CSM has changed my life," she said, describing small class sizes, tutoring and internship support that made engineering "realistic" for a first-generation student.
Why it matters
County commissioners described CSM as an economic engine for Southern Maryland and heard that the college's state funding formula changes could constrain program growth even while enrollment and workforce demand rise. Commissioners thanked the president and asked staff to continue supporting CSM priorities.
