Students going back to school at community colleges in Mississippi should expect to see a tuition increase.
Dr. Andrea Mayfield, Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board said the increase will average 13 percent across the board.
“Because of the budget cuts in the amount of $28 million there was no way to avoid a tuition increase,” said Dr. Mayfield.
Mayfield said that the community college system has been impacted even further than just the tuition increase.
The average increased amount students should expect to pay per year is $356. The highest percentage of change was at East Central, which went up 19.7 percent. However, the most expensive tuition is at Jones County Junior College with a cost of $3,480 for two semesters of full-time classes.
Mayfield said that logically these tuition increases will make it more difficult to pay for school, especially those who do not have easy financial access. Community colleges are historically known for keeping tuition costs low.
Community college tuition for a year is still half of what it would cost to go to a university.
