VAN BUREN (SMNS) -- The value of off-campus sites came up during a Three Rivers College board of trustees workshop last week to review a proposed $35.9 million budget for the 2015 fiscal year.
Out-of-district tuition and credit hours have outpaced those of in-district students, according to college leaders, who say they may look to replace an underperforming partnership in Cape Girardeau.
Three Rivers saw 50 percent of its credit hour production in the last fiscal year from out-of-district students, said college president Dr. Devin Stephenson, compared to 47 percent for in-district enrollment. The remainder came from out-of-state students.
Out-of-district tuition also beats combined revenue from in-district tuition and property tax collections, Stephenson reported during the workshop at The Landing in Van Buren.
Three Rivers collects about $6.7 million in out-of-district tuition, compared to combined in-district tuition and taxes of $6.2 million.
"Out-of-district tuition still eclipses the (in-district) revenue we get by $447,565. This is compelling," Stephenson said.
The college's mission is to provide accessible and affordable education, but work in outlying portions of the 15-county service area also just makes good business sense, he explained.
While centers in the Southeast Missouri towns of Kennett, Dexter and Sikeston continue to thrive, Stephenson said enrollment in Cape Girardeau is "anemic."
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