Community college students to pay an extra $6 per credit hour

Beginning this fall, in-state students attending Virginia community colleges will pay an additional $6 per credit hour. That means the cost of a typical three-hour class will increase by $18, and the cost of a full-time load of classes for the year will increase by $180.

The change will bring the in-state tuition and mandatory fees rate to $136 per credit hour for the 2014-2015 school year.

Community College officials said the tuition increase will be used to bolster its student services across the state. These resources include financial aid counseling and academic coaching. They have become a growing priority for helping first-generation students and those from underrepresented populations. The increase also will fund higher employee health insurance and retirement costs; utility and technology costs; and the costs of operating new facilities.

“Today’s tuition decision strikes an importance balance between ensuring that Virginians have affordable access to higher education and that we have the people and resources in place to help them succeed when they arrive at one of our community colleges,” Bruce J. Meyer, chair of the State Board for Community Colleges, said in a statement.