BUTLER TWP — Gov. Tom Corbett’s 2011-12 proposed education budget cuts continue to reverberate through Butler County Community College, with both negative and potentially positive effects.

“The budgetary ‘what ifs’ continue,” Nick Neupauer, president, said. “But the bottom line is we need to see the final numbers.”

The Legislature is expected to pass a final budget by June 30.

The BC3 board discussed the effects of the state budget at its meeting Wednesday.

Under Corbett’s proposed state budget, BC3 will lose about $1.2 million in state subsidies and reimbursements, Neupauer said.

At the same time, BC3 is examining its campus’ “saturation point” in expectation of an influx of students who might otherwise attend four-year state schools.

Four-year state schools fared even worse than community colleges in Corbett’s proposed budget with their state subsidies being cut in half.

BC3 board members said students might choose to attend a community college because of possible state college campus closings and higher tuition increases.

“We could reach a saturation point,” Ray Steffler, board chairman said of more students. “We need to know what that number is.”

Richard Rittelmann, a board member and a retired architect, said the school will look at main campus capacities as well as those at its satellites.

“We need to get a specific handle on what space needs are expected to be,” Rittelmann said.

Enrollment usually runs between 4,000 and 4,200 students on all campuses and online.

BC3 plans to move to a full-time tuition rate for students who take 12 to 17 credits in 2011-12 and to increase its per-credit rate and other fees to raise $600,000. Administrators have not said how much tuition will be.

In other matters, the board approved five additional curriculums. They are the homeland security program, which includes both an associate degree and a certificate program; the paramedic program, which includes both an associate degree and a certificate program; and the photography program associate degree.

Pittsburgh sports journalist and author Gene Collier will be the commencement speaker for the college’s graduation on May 17. So far, 320 students are expected to graduate.

Applications to graduate are still being accepted.