BUTLER TWP - Butler County Community College received an unexpected $98,500 this month from the state Department of Education, president Cynthia Azari announced Wednesday.

The money is BC3's portion of a $3 million stipend the department had not yet distributed, Azari said.

"This will lower the amount we need to transfer from our fund balance for this year," Azari said, adding the money is approved for several uses. "Either way, it's good news. We have an additional $98,000 we weren't expecting."

The news was welcomed by BC3 trustees, who have spent the last several months hearing about state funding shortfalls and proposed changes in funding formulas that are financially stressing all 14 of Pennsylvania's community colleges.

In addition to the allocation announcement, Azari said she also had her first meeting with David Pierce, a consultant in charge of the state's proposed funding formula changes for community colleges. The meeting was held Monday in Harrisburg.

The proposed changes, if approved, would switch the school's state subsidy away from a per-student amount to a share of the overall state subsidy for all of the community colleges in Pennsylvania.

The change would reduce the subsidy from $1,500 per student to roughly $1,300, according to statistics released previously by BC3 finance dean Lynn Burtner.

Future meetings with Pierce are scheduled throughout the summer, Azari said.