Ulster County is spending $3.9 million annually to support 1,093 Ulster County students attending community colleges outside of the county, according to a report released by Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher on Monday. The report highlights the growing trend of Ulster County students seeking higher education outside the county, resulting in declining enrollment at SUNY Ulster.

The report reveals that while SUNY Ulster has experienced a 16.5 percent decline in enrollment over the past decade, mirroring a 9.2 percent decrease in high school graduating classes, the college has successfully stabilized enrollment in recent years through strategic planning and outreach to non-traditional students. However, this has resulted in larger class sizes.

Despite receiving chargeback revenues from non-resident students attending SUNY Ulster, the county still faces a net deficit of approximately $2.5 million annually between SUNY Ulster and Ulster County. The report identifies geographic proximity as a key factor in student choice, with nearby community colleges like SUNY Dutchess (365 students), SUNY Orange (221 students), Hudson Valley Community College (136 students), and Columbia-Greene (130 students) attracting a significant number of Ulster County students.

Shawangunk, Lloyd and Saugerties send the most students out of county for community college (189, 143, and 135, respectively).

Gallagher emphasized the importance of providing Ulster County students with options while highlighting SUNY Ulster's value as a high-quality and affordable educational resource. The report echoes a 2012 recommendation to survey students leaving the county for community college and suggests exploring transportation options and financial incentives to encourage in-county enrollment.

The Comptroller's Office also praised the recent establishment of SUNY Ulster's satellite campus at iPark as a positive step towards increasing in-county enrollment and mitigating the financial burden of college chargebacks.