MHCC INVITES STUDENTS TO SHAPE COLLEGE BUDGET
New Budget Advisory Committee offers students a voice in financial decisions and a $200 tuition credit for participating.
By Morgan McCarraher
The Advocate
Mt. Hood Community College is introducing a new approach to its annual budgeting process, aiming to increase transparency, encourage collaboration and give students a direct voice in decisions that affect their education.
As part of this initiative, MHCC is establishing a new Budget Advisory Committee that will bring students and faculty together to review budget proposals, financial information and campus feedback before making recommendations to college leadership.
$200 TUITION CREDIT
Available each term to students serving on MHCC's new Budget Advisory Committee.
NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
Students do not need prior budgeting or finance experience to apply.
The committee, expected to form this fall, represents an effort to make the college’s budgeting process more open and inclusive.
In an email announcing the initiative, MHCC President Lisa Skari emphasized the importance of student participation in financial planning.
“At Mt. Hood Community College, the decisions we make about our budget affect your education, your experiences and the services available to help you succeed,” Skari wrote. “That’s why I believe it’s important for students to have a voice in how we plan for the college’s future.”
College budgets influence nearly every aspect of the student experience, from academic programs and classroom resources to tutoring, counseling, campus facilities and other student services. However, students have not always been directly involved in the conversations surrounding those decisions.
The new committee offers an opportunity to bring student perspectives into the process. While college leadership must consider institutional finances and long-term sustainability, students can provide firsthand insight into which services are most valuable, where improvements are needed and how funding decisions affect academic success.
Student representatives will also gain a better understanding of institutional finances by reviewing budget proposals, funding limitations, and competing priorities.
MHCC is not requiring applicants to have previous experience with budgeting or finance and is encouraging students from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to apply.
To recognize the time commitment involved, the college will provide participating students with a $200 tuition credit each term they serve on the committee.
Although the committee will provide recommendations rather than make final budget decisions, it creates a new avenue for students to participate in shaping the college’s financial priorities.
Students interested in participating can access the application through the QR code included on MHCC’s Budget Advisory Committee flyer.
The initiative offers students an opportunity to contribute to financial decisions before decisions are made rather than simply experiencing the consequences.
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