Las Positas College has exited hold-harmless status, a state-sanctioned provision that locked funding for the school based on 2017-18 metrics. The Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (CLPCCD) met enrollment, financial aid and student completion standards to surpass the funding cap, making the district eligible for additional revenue.
California community colleges are funded under the Student-Centered Funding Formula (SCFF) which allocates funding based on enrollment, financial aid recipients and student achievement.
In the face of record-low enrollment numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, hold-harmless status protected community colleges from funding loss.
“It guaranteed that districts received at least what they earned in 2017–18, even if the new formula would have funded them at a lower level,” said Nan Ho, vice president of academic services.
While the status served as a safeguard, it eventually limited financial growth.
The protective funding floor came to a halt this fiscal year, 2025-26. As a caveat of remaining on hold-harmless status, the school was unable to receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to account for inflation.
Sean Brooks, vice president of administrative services at LPC said the school missed out on at least $1 million in COLA funding.
“We ran at a budget deficit last year and are projecting one this year,” Brooks said. Any additional funds from COLA “could help offset LPC’s current year deficit and assist in providing needed resources to students.”
The new financial status isn’t pocket change. The school is estimated to secure seven figures.
“It is difficult to quantify what future years’ revenue will be,” Brooks said. “However, the college can reasonably expect to receive millions in additional dollars in the coming years as it emerges from hold-harmless.”
Retiring from hold-harmless status wasn’t luck. It was the result of a strategic, districtwide operation to boost enrollment and secure COLA.
“(It was) a concerted effort to provide more class offerings to attract and retain more students. Enrollment growth has been key,” Brooks saod. “We have seen annual enrollment growth of well over 10% the last two fiscal years.”
With more students, financial aid increase follows, contributing to year-over-year growth in Pell Grant and California College Promise Grant recipients.
The new winter intersession — an accelerated term that fills the month-long gap between the fall and spring semesters — will be a key contributor to this upward enrollment trend. Brooks said the winter intersession will elevate all SCFF metrics related to exiting hold-harmless.
Ho credits these financial feats to improved outreach, more effective scheduling and a focus on student support.
“Exiting hold-harmless status reflects a multi-year, districtwide effort,” said Ho. “This strengthens the district’s financial outlook and helps support programs, staffing and services that students rely on.”
COLA funds are unrestricted, meaning the school retains flexibility in how it uses the money. “Typically, we are underbudgeted in part-time faculty expenses, so we could use funds to shore up these areas,” Brook said, “as well as address other campus-wide priorities associated with student success, health and wellness.”
While exiting hold-harmless marks a substantial win, CLPCCD isn’t halting efforts to improve SCFF metrics. Both schools remain committed to addressing a budget deficit and serving students’ needs.
“Going forward, both colleges will continue investing in strategies that support enrollment, financial aid access and student success,” Ho said.
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TOP PHOTO: As of Nov. 7, LPC has exited hold-harmless status and is now receiving a cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA). The school projects to gain millions in additional revenue from COLA funding. (Illustration by Jaxyn Good/The Express)
Jaxyn Good is a staff writer for The Express. Follow her on Instagram @jaxyngood.
