Advocacy

The Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) is an advocate for the State’s 16 community colleges and the educational needs of the students they serve.

Working with elected officials, policymakers, stakeholder organizations, as well as local, state and federal representatives, MACC seeks to:

  • Make postsecondary education accessible to all Marylanders,
  • Grow the percentage of Marylanders who are college and career-ready,
  • Increase community college completion rates statewide, and
  • Develop recognition of the community college contribution to Maryland’s economic development and resiliency.

MACC has served as the unified voice for Maryland’s community colleges since its inception in 1992.

Community colleges remain the most affordable postsecondary option in Maryland’s higher education landscape; however, the cost of attending a community college has risen steadily over the past several years. Continuous rebasing of the formulas that determine the annual state aid to our institutions has moved the community college funding premise of 33% state-funded, 33% county-funded, and 33% student-funded to a point where students now often pay the lion’s share of 40% or more.

Cost is the primary barrier to postsecondary education. For every percentage increase in tuition, students stop out of higher ed – often forever. With rapid technological advancements and an increasingly global economy, it has never been more important for Maryland to facilitate access to postsecondary education – not only for citizens but for the economic welfare of the State.