Budget: College soldiers on - Keri Brenner, The Chronicle

Columbia Gorge Community College will freeze hiring, raise tuition and expand class size to offset a projected budget shortfall for 2010-11. But the college, blindsided like others statewide by Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s last-minute 9 percent across-the-board budget cuts last month, will avoid any layoffs or more drastic program changes by drawing down its newly created reserves fund, officials said.