BUTLER TWP — Butler County Community College finally will receive $3.9 million in state funds today, accounting for costs up to the end of 2015.

The 2015-16 state budget has not been passed because Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, and the Republican-controlled Legislature cannot agree on it. However, Wolf in late December released emergency funding to school districts, counties and social service programs.

BC3’s money is coming from these funds.

Jim Hrabosky, BC3’s vice president for administration and finance, discussed this temporary financial fix at Wednesday’s trustees meeting.

These state funds will help offset the $2 million of debt amassed by the college during the state budget impasse, Hrabosky said.

In December, the board approved taking out two lines of credit, one for $2 million and one for $1 million from Farmers National Bank in Emlenton. Only the $2 million line of credit was used, according to Hrabosky.

That $2 million loan and the $9,000 in fees and interest will be paid off immediately, using part of the state-provided money.

The $1 million line of credit will remain to cover any emergencies at the college if needed.

Financial aid payments to students for the spring semester will be finalized by mid-February, giving the college another $2 million in state funds, Hrabosky said.

If the state budget impasse continues, the college should be operational through May, Hrabosky said. If the college borrows from its $1 million line of credit, it would be OK without more state money until June.

BC3 gets its funds from tuition, the county and the state.

Hrabosky is not too worried about the financial state of the college, explaining that these costs will balance out over time once the state budget is passed and the college’s debt is paid.

However, President Nick Neupauer stressed that the state budget issue still continues.

“The budget situation is not behind (us),” he told the board. “By no means is the budget resolved at this point.”

The state budget impasse also is affecting the amount of interest the college has earned over the year, Hrabosky said.

With the college’s reserves, the 2015-16 projection was $60,000 in interest growth, but the college has only accrued $12,500, according to Hrabosky. By the end of the school year, that interest may only total $20,000, since the college has taken money from its reserve funding to pay for operational costs during the budget impasse.

Hrabosky does not anticipate this will hurt the college since the tuition payments have increased by roughly $325,000.

That increase is caused by increases in out-of-county enrollment. Out-of-county students pay twice the tuition rate of county residents, $3,000 compared to $1,500 for full-time students.

Third-quarter payments from the state would typically be delivered to the college around March 20, but that is dependent on the state passing a budget, Hrabosky said.