Budget Frequently Asked Questions

#	Question	HACC’s Response
1.	Why is Dr. Ski making and implementing these decisions right before he retires?	HACC’s Board of Trustees asked HACC President and CEO John J. “Ski” Sygielski, MBA, Ed.D. to help develop and implement long-term sustainability plans so the next president can focus more fully on strategy and community engagement. This work helps ensure HACC is positioned to thrive in the years ahead.
2.	Why are these changes happening now? Why weren't they addressed sooner? Why not wait for the incoming president?	The pressures facing HACC did not emerge overnight. Enrollment has been declining gradually for over a decade, and the College has consistently taken measured steps each year to submit balanced or near-balanced budgets. However, several significant events converged in recent years to make further delay untenable: The COVID-19 pandemic permanently changed how students learn. The global health crisis rapidly normalized distance education and the shift proved lasting. Federal relief funding temporarily offset structural pressures. This funding is now gone. Between 2020 and 2023, HACC received approximately $72.4 million in federal pandemic relief funding across student aid, institutional support and state-administered programs through the CARES Act, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA) and American Rescue Plan (HEERF I, II, and III). These funds provided a critical financial bridge during an unprecedented period of disruption. With that funding exhausted, the structural gap it was masking became fully visible. Collective bargaining restricted the College's ability to act. HACC's faculty unionized in April 2022. For more than three years, the College operated under "status quo" obligations - a legal requirement during active negotiations that significantly limited its ability to implement structural changes. That constraint remained in place until the Harrisburg Area Community College Education Association (HACCEA) - the union that represents the faculty employed by HACC - ratified its first collective bargaining agreement in November 2025, with HACC Board of Trustees approval in December 2025. State appropriations have remained flat for three consecutive years. While operating costs have risen steadily with inflation, state funding has not increased. This has eroded the real value of state support each year. Enrollment continues to decline, and tuition flexibility is limited. Credit hours are projected to decline 1.8% in 2026-27. At the same time, maintaining affordability is a core institutional commitment. Tuition increases must remain modest to ensure HACC continues to be an accessible option for students across the region. Taken together, these factors created a convergence that could not responsibly be deferred. Without intervention, the College's structural deficit could have approached $10 million in 2026-27 and continued to grow in subsequent years, raising serious concerns about long-term financial sustainability. Asking the incoming president to absorb that deficit without a clear corrective plan in place would have been a disservice to the institution, its students and the communities HACC serves. The HACC Board of Trustees asked Dr. Ski to establish the foundational decisions necessary for long-term stability so that new leadership can focus fully on strategy, growth and community engagement from a position of fiscal strength. These are difficult decisions. They are also the right ones - made in service of HACC's enduring purpose: Learning for all; learning for life.
3.	What buildings have previously been sold?	HACC previously: Sold the Lebanon Campus building Sold a York Campus property at 2130 Pennsylvania Avenue Exited the Midtown 2 facility at the end of its lease term
4.	What buildings have leases in them, and who are the tenants?	Gettysburg Campus: Adams County Head Start LIU#12 Adams County Literacy Council Weis Market (Parking lot only) Harrisburg Campus: Capital Area Head Start and Keystone Service Systems, Inc. (Whitaker Hall) Leadership Harrisburg Area and Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (Ted Lick Administration Building) Learning Care Centers, dba U-GRO (Grace Milliman Pollock Childcare and Early Education Center) Lock Haven University (Clyde E. Blocker Hall) PSECU (Bruce E. Cooper Student Center) T-Mobile (Bruce E. Cooper Student Center Roof and West Parking Lot) Verizon (Roof of Rose Lehrman Art Gallery) Lancaster Campus: Goodwill Keystone Area (East Building) Learning Care Centers, dba U-GRO (Main Building) PSECU (Main Building) Verizon (Cell Tower, North Lot) York Campus: Faithful Transport (Cytec) Precision Electronics (Governor George M. Leader Building)
5.	What will HACC look like in 5-10 years?	Over the next decade, HACC will evolve into a right‑sized, student‑first college that blends hands‑on learning with high‑quality distance education; delivers workforce‑aligned credentials alongside transfer pathways; and operates efficiently to reinvest in teaching, labs and student supports. In practice, that means offering course sequences through flexible delivery, embedding industry credentials in programs and making data‑informed adjustments to keep our students on track for jobs, licensure or transfer - on time and with less friction.
6.	What buildings and campuses will be affected?	This work impacts four HACC campuses. Decisions about which spaces to consolidate, lease or sell are being made carefully and in phases. These decisions are informed by utilization data, program needs, student access and financial sustainability. As decisions are finalized, the College is committed to communicating directly and in advance with the students and employees who will be affected. If a program, class or work location is changing, impacted individuals will hear from the College before that change happens with enough time to plan and adjust. The goal throughout this process is to ensure that every campus remains a welcoming, well-resourced and vibrant place for our students, employees and visitors.
7.	What data is being used to make decisions about real estate and facilities?	Over the past several years, enrollment has declined and more students are choosing distance education, a trend that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, facilities built to serve a larger, predominantly in-person student population are no longer being used to their full potential. Space that was once well-utilized is now scattered and spread out across buildings that cost money to maintain, operate and upgrade. To right-size the College in a way that keeps HACC affordable, accessible and vibrant for our students, we are using the following data to guide every facilities decision: How our spaces are actually being used, including classroom and lab usage rates, seat fill percentages and overall occupancy trends Where enrollment is heading, including current and projected enrollment by campus, program and how students are choosing to learn (in person, hybrid or distance education) What programs need to stay on campus, including mission-critical and workforce-aligned programs that require physical space, labs or hands-on instruction What it costs to operate each facility, including cost per square foot, deferred maintenance backlogs and long-term capital requirements Where our students actually are, including proximity to population centers, employers and how students access our campuses The condition and lifespan of our buildings, including age, required upgrades and long-term viability Opportunities to generate value from underused space, including leasing, co-location, shared services and community partnerships The goal is not to do less. The goal is to do more in spaces that are better utilized, better maintained and better suited to how students learn today.
8.	What is the timeline for changes related to real estate and facilities?	This work is organized in two phases - short and long term - and is grounded in a clear principle: no campus is closing. By consolidating spaces, the College intends to create more vibrant, concentrated campus environments that are more inclusive, enabling and supportive of student success. Short-Term Changes: The College will consolidate classes and operations into fewer, higher-utilization buildings on each campus. This reduces the recurring costs of running underused facilities, including maintenance, utilities and operations. Spaces that are no longer needed for the foreseeable future will be actively marketed for lease or sale, ensuring these assets continue to generate value for the College and the community. Long-Term Changes: Proceeds from leases and sales will be directed strategically, including toward reducing outstanding debt or debt service obligations, further limiting our structural deficit and strengthening the College's long-term financial position. The College will continue exploring co-location opportunities and partnerships that maximize the value of its facilities while keeping HACC deeply rooted in the communities it serves. The result will be campuses that feel more alive, focused and better resourced -not smaller in mission, but stronger in delivery.
9.	Is HACC closing any campuses?	At this time, no campus closures are planned. HACC is evaluating how to align its facilities and service models with current student demand The goal is alignment and right-sizing, not elimination of community presence. Every campus will remain open, and our intent is to create more vibrant, concentrated environments that better serve how students learn today.
10.	Why is HACC still the smart choice for students in Central Pennsylvania?	HACC has been Central Pennsylvania's community college since 1964. Affordability has always been at the heart of our mission. HACC remains committed to keeping tuition accessible and significantly below nearby four-year institutions. For students pursuing a two-year credential or planning to transfer, the savings are meaningful. Completing your first two years at HACC before transferring to a four-year university delivers the same academic foundation at a significantly lower cost - making HACC one of the smartest educational investments a student can make in our region. That value reflects our enduring commitment toLearning for all; learning for life and ensuring a high-quality education remains within reach for every student, regardless of background or financial means. The College intends to protect that commitment in the years ahead.