Frequently Asked Questions

No, Seattle Central College is not closing and will continue to offer high-quality programs as it has since 1966.

There are no planned program closures for the 2023-2024 academic year. Seattle Central will continue to enroll students for all programs.

As of spring 2023, the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 (FY 22/23) budget forecast has improved since the academic year began. After accounting for remaining CARES Act funds issued by the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing enrollments, and careful budgeting, budget indicators point to ending the fiscal year with a modest surplus.

Due to careful work of budget managers, spending reductions, and a deep look at improving budgeting tools that provide better monitoring of expenditures against revenue, the budget forecast improved over the course of the 22/23 academic year.

Before Seattle Central’s FY 23/24 budget is finalized, the state legislature must approve Governor Inslee’s biennial budget proposal for all 34 community and technical colleges in Washington. Central’s budget next year will be affected by the following legislative outcomes or decisions:

Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs): Whether the state will fund 100 percent of mandatory cost-of-living adjustments for faculty and staff or if Seattle Central must cover a portion using local tuition funds.

New Workforce Funding: Whether or how much of the $77 million request from the State Board for Technical and Community Colleges (SBCTC) will be funded to supplement high-cost workforce programs around the state.

Seattle Central will present a balanced budget to the chancellor in April 2023. The chancellor, who makes the final decision, may accept it, ask for changes or reject it. The Board of Trustees will receive a budget in May for adoption in June 2023.

Since fall quarter 2022, Seattle Central has seen modest increases in state-funded and international students.

The Workforce Development Program Sustainability Task Force was established in summer 2022 to find sustainable funding solutions for the following programs previously under consideration for closure:

• The Seattle Culinary Academy
• The Wood Technology Center
• The Apparel Design Program
• The Seattle Maritime Academy

These programs require a heavy subsidy to operate. Seattle Colleges has secured a short-term funding bridge with King County, partnered with local industry, and engaged with private funders, while developing businesses plans that outline a sustainable path long-term.

For an update on their progress, visit the Workforce Development Program Sustainability Task Force website.

Is Seattle Central College closing?

No. Seattle Central College is not closing. We will continue to provide high-quality program offerings for students in the region.

Is Seattle Central closing programs due to budget deficits?

No. There are no planned program closures at this time. Seattle Central will continue to enroll students for all programs in Fall 2022.

Why is there a budget deficit?

Community and technical colleges in our state have been underfunded for many years. Nationally, colleges and universities are seeing decreases in enrollment, and the state of Washington has not been immune to those decreases. At community and technical colleges, enrollment is down 24.2% from 2019 to 2021 state-wide.

In addition, Seattle Colleges operates in a city with an increasingly high cost of living and cost of business operations. As costs of doing business in Seattle have increased, revenue for the Colleges has not. The pandemic and other recent challenges have exacerbated our difficult financial situation.

What are you doing to address budget deficits?

Administration is cutting 15 percent of its overhead budget. This includes a reduction in force - by either eliminating positions or leaving open positions vacant - at the Associate Dean level and above.

Seattle Central is aligning class schedules with enrollment and looking to maximize fill rates for classes.

Seattle Colleges is securing a short-term funding bridge with King County, state legislators, business leaders, and potential private funders, while determining a long-term sustainable path forward for higher-cost workforce programs.

What is happening with enrollment at Seattle Central College?

Nationally, colleges and universities are seeing decreases in enrollment, and the state of Washington has not been immune to those decreases. At community and technical colleges, FTES (the number of full-time equivalent students) enrollment is down 14.9 percent from 2019 - 2021 state-wide. Seattle Central's enrollment is down 18.5 percent from Fall 2019 to Fall 2021.

Will you cut programs next year?

At this time, there are no proposals to cut programs for this year or next.

How will you fund programs that were once recommended for closure beyond 2023?

Seattle Colleges will seek to restructure the funding models of the following workforce programs:

• The Seattle Culinary Program
• The Wood Technology Center
• The Apparel Design Program
• The Seattle Maritime Academy

These programs require a heavy subsidy to operate. Seattle Colleges is securing a short-term funding bridge with King County, state legislators, business leaders, and potential private funders, while determining a long-term sustainable path forward.

Who will have the final say in approving this year's budget?

Given the financial status of the college, the chancellor and board of trustees have directed Seattle Central to balance expenditures to come into fiscal alignment by closing programs.

Seattle Central Executive Leadership team has made a recommendation to the chancellor. The chancellor, who makes the final decision, will consider the recommendation and may accept it, ask for changes, or reject it. 

When will the final decisions be made?

Seattle Central Executive Leadership Team will discuss the proposed budget at a campus budget forum on May 4. The chancellor and the board of trustees will make a final decision at the June board meeting.