2015

9 community colleges to raise tuition this fall

But 6 of state's 15 schools will hold line Jeff Amy Associated Press JACKSON - Kine of Mississip– pi's 15 community and junior col– leges will raise charges on stu– dents this fall, with the average price of tuition and fees rising by 4 percent statewide. On average, a student will pay $2,577 for two semesters of full– time classes, up from $2,476 in the 2014-15 year, according to fig– ures from the state Community College Board. Mississippi Gulf Coast Com– munity College will charge the most, $2,992 for two semesters of full-time classes. The Perkin– ston-based college is raising tu– ition by 20 percent after four years of basically steady charges, and President Mary Graham said the big bump in tu– ition was needed to preserve the quality of Mississippi Gulf Coast's offerings. "The college has historically made the strategic choice to raise tuition in the amount required to sustain exceptional programs once every few years, rather than in small increments every

"The college has historically 11zade the strategic choice to raise tuition in the a11zount required to sustain exceptional progra1ns once every few years." MARY GRAHAM, Mississippi Gutt Coast Community College president year,'' Graham said inMay, when the increase was announced. Six colleges aren't raismg prices, including Meridian Com– munity College, which will hold steady at $2,314 a year. East Cen– tral Community College, which is rrusmg charges by less than 1per– cent, will still have the lowest tu– ition m the state at $2,230 after imposing a $20-a-year increase. 1\vo-year colleges are getting more state money than they did before the recession. But they still have more students than be– fo~ the recession, despite four years of falling enrollment as an improving job market cut de– mand for training. State funding is rising 4.5 per– cent in the budget that began

July 1. The increaseof$11million in the 2016 budget will push state aid above $260million, compared to the $216 million that colleges received in 2011. That's still be– low the level required by state law, which calls on the Legisla– ture to fund community colleges at the midpoint between univer– sities and K-12 schools. East Central President Billy Stewart described the increase as "very helpful" in holding down tuition. Statewide, though, tuition con– tinues to rise faster than inflation and personal income growth.The dollar amounts each year are small, only $100 or $200 a year. But over time, price increases have hurt affordability. While community college tuition cost 3.1 percent of median family m– come m Mississippi in 2000, it cost 5.7 percent in 2013. Many Mississippi community college students pay less than full tuition through a combination of scholarships and financial aid. In 20ofMississippi's 82 counties, lo– cal governments and private do– nors pay tuition for recent high school graduates who are not covered by other financial aid. Federal Pell Grants typically cover tuition and books for the poorest students.

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NESHOBA DEMOCRAT --- --- scan COUNTY TIMES - ----- WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL ---

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NEWTON COUNTY APPEAL - - -- SPIRIT OF MORTON

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MERIDIAN STAR

CLARION-LEDGER

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