Hunter Roare applied to Blue Ridge Community College Friday, but with the tough economy, he is already concerned about the possibility of increasing tuition.

"I'm kind of nervous about it, but I feel like it is something I've got to do regardless," says Roare.

Roare is the first in his family to go to college, and his dream of becoming a teacher is his motivation. At this time, he can only afford to go part time.

"If there were more ways to get scholarships and more funding, then I could probably go full time," says Roare.

A lack of scholarships is just one issue BRCC College President John Downey has on his mind.

"Every institution of higher education, every source of scholarship money, everyone is cutting back, and the challenge going into the future is how much more can you do that and still provide the access that we need in higher education," says Downey.

In addition to fewer scholarships, state budget cuts may mean community colleges will be forced to raise tuition.

"In a lot of cases, institutions of higher education are faced with tuition as the only way to generate some revenue," says Downey.

The college has already endured several years of cuts even though the number of students attending has grown. As of now, stimulus money is propping up the budget, but that money is only temporary.

"When that stimulus money goes away, that is going to be the biggest concern we have," says Downey.

The school's stimulus money will run out by the end of fiscal year 2012.

Currently, the college is coping with the cuts by not hiring new professors to replace retiring ones.