BUTLER TWP — The Butler County Community College trustees on Tuesday approved a $27 million budget for 2012-13 with no tuition increase, a small increase in student fees and a less than 1 percent increase in overall expenses.

Jim Hrabosky, BC3’s vice president of administration and finance, said the budget is based on revenues collected for the 2011-12 academic year through June 20, about $11.15 million, and a steady enrollment rate, as well as the assumption that a base appropriation of $7.54 million will be approved by the state.

In its budget this year, the college was stripped of about $750,000 in state funding.

The student comprehensive fee, charged on each credit a student is enrolled for, will rise from $18 to $22 next year, while the $4 academic advancement fee on each credit will remain the same.

Hrabosky said that increase will produce about $285,000 in additional revenue for the college without increasing tuition.

“If I raise tuition $1 for Butler County residents, I raise it $2 for our Mercer and Lawrence (county) students,” he said.

With tuition rates remaining the same, a Butler County student will pay $114 per credit, which is $88 in tuition plus $26 in student fees, while an out-of-county student will pay $202 per credit, or $176 in tuition plus $26 in student fees.

The college also expects to save about $350,000 in its 2012-13 budget by refinancing bonds taken in 2008 to build its Student Success Center. That savings will come from lower interest rates.

The 2012-13 budget includes a $2,000 wage increase, based on performance review, for administrators and professional/technical employees, effective July 1, with the total amount of wage increases not to exceed 2.75 percent of the salary pool for those positions.

However, the wage increases are offset by increased contributions by employees for medical health care benefits. For example, the family plan contribution will rise from $60 each month now to $160 in 2012-13.

Overall, the college’s $27.06 million budget next year is just 0.9 percent more than its current $26.8 million budget.

BC3 President Nick Neupauer commended Hrabosky for finding effective ways to manage the college’s budget, considering all the state funding issues coming out of Harrisburg and that BC3 enrollment was down about 4 percent from last year.

Neupauer said that while he is concerned about the burden on college employees when vacant positions are not filled because of budget concerns, he is pleased that BC3 has not had any layoffs.