OP-ED… For NJ to Fully Recover from the Pandemic, Community Colleges’ Funding Must Be Restored

Christopher M. Reber, President of Hudson County Community College

By Christopher M. Reber*, President of Hudson County Community College

* The author is president of Hudson County Community College in New Jersey.

New Jersey recovered economically, and – to some extent, emotionally – from 9/11, the Great Recession of 2009, and Superstorm Sandy thanks in large part to the State’s community colleges. In the aftermath of those challenging times, enrollment at New Jersey’s 18 community colleges skyrocketed as high school grads to senior citizens signed on for the affordable, high-quality, community college education that enabled them to establish or revamp their lives and livelihoods.