Community colleges like Heartland provide large financial impact. (WJBC file photo)

By Dan Petrow

BLOOMINGTON – As many high school seniors approach graduation, there is worry about the cost of college. Heartland Community College President Bob Widmer says that research indicates the return on investment for a two year degree is significantly higher in central Illinois than the rest of the state.

"I would say one measure of our community financial impact, the number of employees we have," said Widmer.

Community colleges such as HCC could bring much more money into the economy than expected. Widmer said the financial contributions made by Heartland can be measured in the tens of millions of dollars annually. President Widmer said research indicates that the return on the investment for a two year degree is significantly higher in the central Illinois than the rest of the state.

"Our contribution to the community really pumps about over 39 million dollars into the community," said Widmer.

Research done by Northern Illinois University's Governmental Studies shows that community colleges similar HCC contribute millions of dollars to local economies each year.
 
Dan Petrow can be reached at [email protected].