A host of cutbacks - including an enrollment cap - are likely at Three Rivers Community College following the state legislature's approval last week of a budget that sliced funding to the 12 community colleges by nearly $20 million.

Three Rivers lost $600,000 from the approximate $10 million it receives from the state, said Grace S. Jones, the college president. This reduction in state money to the Norwich college, as well as a steadily growing student population, may force other changes as well, including a reduction in classes, services and faculty, school officials said. One official also said that the school may have to close its doors on nights and weekends.

The 12 community colleges statewide will receive $153.8 million - $19.8 million short of last year - in Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's budget, Mary Anne Cox, assistant chancellor for the state's community colleges, said.

The likelihood of these belt-tightening measures has led to a shift in student behavior at Three Rivers. In past years, most students waited until the late summer to make their mad dash to register for fall classes at the college.

That appears to be a thing of the past.

"We've had a lot of people on top of it because they know what's coming," said Leeann Gauthier, a pre-nursing student who works in the student development office.

Three Rivers has had an open enrollment policy, meaning that the only requirement for admission was a high school diploma or General Educational Development certificate. The school was attended by 5,161 students last year.

But now Three Rivers may have to turn students away. Jones said the college has made great efforts to have students enroll earlier than usual, and the school would try to find a way to accommodate students if enrollment surpasses last year's.

But she finds herself frustrated in some trying times.

"I'm feeling very disgusted that Connecticut is viewing community colleges here as anything less than a vital part of the educational industry in the work force development group," Jones said. "I don't quite understand how we would be viewed as less than we have been."

College restructuring

Three Rivers was formed in 1992 when the state merged the community and technical college systems. In 2009, the college opened an $85.6 million, 300,000-square-foot facility on New London Turnpike in Norwich. Enrollment increased by 15 percent last year, Jones said, and enrollment in community colleges statewide has jumped 100 percent over the past decade.

Jones said that tuition will increase by about 2.5 percent next year; a semester at Three Rivers costs roughly $1,700. Most credits at the two-year institution transfer to state universities, including the University of Connecticut.

The recent budget cuts are coupled with a restructuring of the way the 12 community colleges in the state operate. Under Malloy's budget, a board of regents would be created to oversee the 12 community colleges, the four state universities (Central, Southern, Eastern and Western Connecticut) and Charter Oak State College.

The move is expected to save $4.3 million, but it is still unclear for many administrators how the restructuring will play out, said Cox, the assistant chancellor.

The chancellor's office and community college's board of trustees would likely be eliminated, which would complicate many things, such as financial aid matters, Cox said.

She also said the budget cuts have defeated the long-accepted mission of community colleges in the state.

"We're supposed to be open-door institutions that meet students' needs," Cox said. "We're supposed to be able to increase students as there is demand. We will not be able to do that next year."

Enrollment growing

Compared with this point last year, Three Rivers has about 500 more students enrolled for the fall, according to Susan Bibeau, the director of student development. Jones said administrators will continue to monitor enrollment and will have a better idea of fall enrollment in the coming weeks.

Nonetheless, Karin Edwards, dean of student development and services, said Three Rivers may face faculty cuts and changes in the classes it offers. The school may also have to close its doors on nights and weekends, Edwards said.

While she said the budget cuts have been difficult, Edwards thinks that Three Rivers' growing enrollment has added to the problem.

"We can't sustain that kind of growth. We just can't," Edwards said. "With the number of students, the demands were growing, but the supports and resources were not. So we were kind of out of balance."

For her part, Jones refused to use the word "cap" when discussing Three Rivers' enrollment for the fall.

She said the college could create a set of additional classes, which would start later in the fall to accommodate students.

Jones said she hopes to have a clearer picture of the future soon.

"We're trying to be patient. We're trying to be hopeful," Jones said. "When you don't know and you run an organization like this, it's not very comfortable."

jeff.johnson@theday.com