Rockland County Legislators Approve RCC Budget

Rockland County legislators voted unanimously to adopt the 2025-2026 Rockland Community College budget, nearly a third of which is supported by county taxpayer dollars.

The plan was previously completed by the RCC administration and approved unanimously by the RCC Board of Trustees. The County Executive reviewed the plan and recommended county government’s contribution, in accordance with state requirements. As the college’s local sponsor, the county generally provides about one-third of its budget, amounting to about $18 million in the coming fiscal year.

Under the approved spending plan, RCC’s budget will increase by just 0.2 percent to $61.85 million. No additional employees are included in the budget, which also maintains a $1.5 million fund balance per SUNY’s Budget Office. A fund balance allows for funds to pay for unexpected expenses and can aid cash-flow.

Tuition rates will remain flat at $2,832 per semester or $5,667 for the academic year. The budget estimates 3,661 FTE – or full-time equivalent – students, slightly under the 3,680 FTEs in the current fiscal year. RCC is focused on increasing enrollment. The tuition rate places RCC 12th among the 31 SUNY community colleges and in line with regional community colleges while being slightly below the average tuition cost of all community colleges ($5,777).

In recent weeks, the County Legislature has welcomed and confirmed the new president, Dr. William P. Mullaney, and interacted with RCC staff and representatives to get information on the college’s challenges, including finances and enrollment. At one point, RCC appeared to need at least $4 million to help close an ongoing deficit and cash-flow shortfall but the college has been working to close that gap.

“The legislators all agree that RCC is a vital institution serving the educational needs of so many,” Rockland County Legislature Chairman Jay Hood Jr. said. “We are hopeful that moving forward and with new leadership, the college will stabilize and improve its finances and grow its enrollment.”