Mark Rubinstein, chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire, and staff told Finance - Division II that the system is focused on accessible, career‑aligned programming and highlighted state investments that expand early‑college opportunities and short‑term workforce training.

Rubinstein and Shannon Reed, the system’s director of government affairs, said the community college system has a presence in every region of the state and that roughly 30% of core instruction is delivered online. They reported that about 93% of community college students are New Hampshire residents.

Reed said the Legislature’s biennial investment of $2.5 million per year to underwrite early‑college credits produced 54,000 credits last year that would have cost about $13 million at standard tuition and fees. The system said that last year’s 54,000 credits represented about a 15% year‑over‑year increase and that fall‑to‑spring enrollment trends suggest continued growth; the presenters estimated about 60,000 early‑college credits in the current year.

The system described the program as free of charge to participating students and families because the state appropriation underwrites the costs. Reed said early‑college participation can translate into reduced time to degree and lower student debt for families.

The community college delegates outlined other workforce efforts: short-term “boot camps” and customized employer training, apprenticeship programs that allow students to “earn while they learn,” and substantial growth in health‑care training. Director of Workforce Development Christine Dudley said workforce‑development enrollments reached more than 6,252 enrollments over 2½ years in the programs highlighted, with LNA (licensed nursing assistant) program enrollment up 38% year over year in a recent comparison.

Reed and Dudley said the system’s priorities in the current biennium include sustaining and growing dual and concurrent enrollment, continuing targeted workforce credential programs and maintaining affordability (the system has frozen tuition for an extended period). They also described a request included in the system’s efficiency budget for $1.25 million annually to support early‑childhood education course costs that grant rules sometimes exclude.

On funding outlook, Rubinstein said the system is mindful of state revenue trends and competing priorities in the budget. Committee members asked for supporting documentation: a list of dual/concurrent courses, annual reports on math learning communities, and a more detailed version of the community college system budget. Rubinstein and Reed agreed to provide the requested materials through committee staff.

The presentation emphasized regional responsiveness: the system described examples such as training cohorts in nursing, CDL drivers and manufacturing in areas where local employers reported demand. Presenters also said many community college workforce students are adults: Dudley said about 63% of workforce‑development participants are age 25 or older and that many are working while enrolled, which influences program design and scheduling.