Regarding the Nov. 3 article “BC3 students looking at higher tuition,” we attended the county commissioners meeting and believe several important points were missing from that article.

Butler County students who attend Butler County Community College enjoy the third-lowest tuition and fees for higher education in the state. According to a Nov. 5, 2010, article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, “in-county” tuition and fees for BC3 students is the fourth lowest of 182 Pennsylvania colleges and universities.

BC3 is planning a tuition and fee increase of 1.9 percent for 2011-12. This proposed increase is less than the 2010-11 state average of 4.4 percent for community colleges.

Since 2006-07, BC3’s average tuition and fee increase has been 3.15 percent. The 2010-11 national average for two-year public institutions is 6 percent.

According to a recent survey by The College Board, Pennsylvania students at four-year public institutions are paying the fourth-highest tuition and fees in the country $11,370 per year. Private colleges in Pennsylvania are the 11th most expensive in the country $31,317 per year.

It is easy to understand why BC3 enrollment has grown so rapidly. This is why 21 percent of Butler County high school graduates attend BC3.

BC3 officials have positioned BC3 not only as Butler County’s community college, but also as a regional institution of higher learning. They have done so by providing high-quality education at an affordable price while reducing internal costs.

While all colleges and universities will face unique challenges in the next years, we believe Dr. Neupauer and his staff have pointed BC3 in the right direction to react positively to the challenges facing higher education.