JACKSON, Miss.- Community colleges across the state are seeing a nearly seven percent rise in fees for the 2016-17 academic year.
“For this upcoming school year its about a 6.7 percent increase across the board on average,” Kell Smith, Director of Communications and Legislative Services for the Community College Board, said.
The fees will go towards the payment of teacher salaries, school operations, and provide an overall quality post secondary education. The average tuition for the next year will sit at $2,748.
However, Smith said that the increase should not greatly effect lower income students since the fees are still under the amount awarded by Pell Grants.
“Each community college sets its own tuition and fees for the year. Those are approved by the local board of trustees at each of the community colleges,” said Smith.
These are the rates each college has approved and the percentage change from the 2015-16 academic year provided by the Mississippi Community College Board:
Coahoma: $2,670, 6.8 percent
Copiah-Lincoln: $2,730, unchanged
East Central: $2,330, 4.5 percent
East Mississippi: $2,840, unchanged
Hinds: $2,840, 9.2 percent
Holmes: $2,740, 16.1 percent
Itawamba: $2,600, 8.3 percent
Jones: $3,000, 10.2 percent
Meridian: $2,514, 8.6 percent
Mississippi Delta: $2,620, 4 percent
Mississippi Gulf Coast: $3,040, 1.6 percent
Northeast Mississippi: $2,702, 11.6 percent
Northwest Mississippi: $2,800, 9.8 percent
Pearl River: $2,990, 8.7 percent
Southwest Mississippi: $2,800, 2.9 percent
