The new rate will go into effect for the fall 2010 semester.

 "We don't want to sacrifice our quality of education and not meet the needs of our community," President Gena Proulx said. "We have a growing community. We don't want to be in the position of turning students away. No one likes to see tuition raised, including us, but the state's continuing decrease in support has put us in a difficult place."

Decreased or flat revenues in traditional funding sources, such as state funding and property taxes, combined with increased enrollments, have had an impact on the college's ability to meet student needs. The funding JJC receives from the state has steadily decreased since 1999, from 18.4 percent of the college's operating budget to 10.4 percent of its 2009 operating budget.

Conceptually, the college's budget should be funded in three equal parts by the tuition, the taxpayers and the state. Currently, 51 percent of the college's revenue comes from taxpayers, 38 percent from tuition, and eight percent from the state. 

Increased enrollments have ultimately led to a demand for more course offerings and have strained student services areas like financial aid and counseling.

While the college has added an estimated 1,000 students a year since 2006 (an 18 percent increase), the number of faculty and staff to serve them has not grown in tandem. As of late January, JJC reported its highest enrollment in its 109-year history with over 16,000 full-time students, which is putting a strain on services inside and outside of the classroom.