(Iowa Capital Dispatch) The Iowa House passed legislation Wednesday to bring baccalaureate degrees to Iowa’s community colleges, with calls from Democrats for each lawmaker to assess the impacts of its potential implementation on their districts.
House File 2649, which would establish a pilot program for certain community colleges to offer a small number of bachelor’s degrees, has a number of both supporters and critics who have shared their opinion on how it could impact groups like place-bound students and private colleges and universities.
Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, introduced an amendment adopted by the House that added clarifying language stating bachelor’s degree programs can only be offered at the community college’s central campus. He said the barrier created by lack of access to “adequate, affordable bachelor’s level pathways in every part of the state” for high-demand jobs is one the Legislature can do away with through this legislation.
“This bill moves the needle for household income and helps Iowans reaching for new opportunities,” Collins said in his closing remarks on the bill.
Community Colleges for Iowa first explored the idea to add bachelor’s degrees to community college offerings last year after prompting by lawmakers, and found in a report that there would be benefits to students in areas without nearby higher education options and nontraditional learners.
Representatives from the organization and community colleges told the Iowa House Higher Education Committee in January they see this as an expansion of their mission and a way to address the brain drain occurring in their regions.
Officials at and advocating for private colleges and universities have said the bill seeks to solve a problem they don’t believe exists and would harm their institutions. While it has not been confirmed by House Republicans, lobbyists said they have been told that certain lawmakers are contemplating holding back funding for the Iowa Tuition Grant program due to their opposition.
Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, D-Waterloo, said she understands the “angst” private universities have with the legislation and its potential impacts on enrollment — a topic state universities are also exploring, she said — but each member of the House needs to look at their own district and its needs when deciding whether to support the bill.
“I think that everyone in this room probably has a different place where they’ll land with this bill, and that’s okay,” Brown-Powers said. “I think that the focus really, for me on this particular bill is, what do the students in Iowa need, what do the students in my district need.”
Her district houses a state university, two private colleges and one community college, Brown-Powers said, which with the amendment would be able to launch a dental hygienist program. The bill previously wouldn’t have done anything for the district, but Brown-Powers said now it does, and representatives should keep students and their needs in mind.
According to a fiscal note attached to the legislation, the bill’s fiscal impact is “unknown and will vary depending on how quickly and how many new baccalaureate programs are created during the pilot program.” The note stated the Iowa Department of Education expects to see a one-time cost of $100,000 to expand the State of Iowa Curriculum System, which is not currently set up to support community college bachelor’s degrees.
Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, asked Collins and Rep. Dan Gehlbach, R-Urbandale, about funding the pilot program. They responded that discussions are ongoing as to possible appropriations, but are not complete. Collins said community colleges have begun finding “private sources of funding” for the program, and many businesses in eligible colleges’ districts are willing to offer their support for the pilot program degrees.
Konfrst echoed comments made by Brown-Powers and said if funding, whether private or state-provided, isn’t found, the state would be “making a promise to students that we can’t fulfill.”
With a 55-36 vote approving the legislation in its amended form, the bill will head to the Iowa Senate for consideration.
