2008

2008

2009

Cost range

$558 to $650

$626 to$735

5-day meal plan

2008 $668

2009 $707

System average

7-day meal plan

2008 $816'

2009 $866

System average

Source: State Board for Co;,munity and Junior Colleges

Colleges: Official fears enrollment coulddecline FromlA

"If you are a community college ... the last thing you want to do is increase tuition because it's a barrier to acces.4)." Meridian CC President Scott Elliott When the school made the shift in May, gas was selling for around $3.50 a gallon, and Elliott said he expected students commuting 30 miles roundtripwould save around $200asemester. "Bygoing to a four-day week, we felt that the (tuition) hike would be offsetforourstudents," Elliottsaid. The school is raising its housing fee by $50 a semester, Elliott said. Nine other schools will followsuit. Hinds Community College, which didn't raise tuition, will have the largest housing fee increase. Studentsthere will pay anaddition– al$300 to $425asemestertoliveon campus. Dormfees will range from $800to$1,000asemester. In May, the college said it had been losing about $350,000 a semester on housing on its Ray– mond and Utica campuses. The school also borrowed $6.2 million to renovate dormsand build aband hall. Mealplansinthecommunitycol· lege system jumped between $25 and $100. Prices range from $550 for the cheapest five-day meal plan to $1,107 for the mO!j expensive seven-daymeal plan. • To comment on this story, cal LaRaye Brownat (601)961-7280.

state's two-year college board, said if enrollment dips in the fall, rising gas prices will be the likely culprit. "We'll have some folks who choose not to enroll ... if they are havingto drive 30or 40 miles tO go to school." Clark said. "I think (fis. ing gas prices) is the problem. I don'tthinktuition is a problem." In the fall, NortheastMississippi Community College will have the highest tuition, $945 per semester. Holmes will have the lowest, $650 per semester. In e-mailed statement, Holmes Community College President Glenn Boyce said the school increased prices to keep up with operating costs. Colleges say gas and energy increases are the costs they are most struggling to swal– low. Pearl River Community College budgeted $800,000 for gas and energy costs. "We ran about $200,000 short," President William Lewis said. The school is raising tuition $40 a semester. Cheryl Ragan, vice president of finance at Northeast, where tuition will increase $30 a semester, said gascosts have increased 46 percent from the previous year to $80,000 this year. Echoing concerns about rising gas prices, Meridian Conununity College is increasing tuition $40 a semester. "We didn't want to do it," Presi– dent Scott Elliott said. "'f you are a conununity college ... the last thing you want to do is increase tuition because it's abarrier toaccess." The college recently shifted to a four-dayweekto help students save gas money, although administra· tive offices will continue to operate onafive-dayweek.