Students at Gadsden State Community College will see tuition increase by 19.7 percent, or $14, per credit hour for in-state students, for the Spring 2010 semester. This is the first tuition increase at Gadsden State in five years.

The adjustment comes after the October 22 vote by the Alabama Board of Education to increase tuition at all two-year colleges across the state to ease the financial strain of student enrollment surges and proration. Gadsden State has had a 19 percent increase in enrollment from last year and is currently educating over 6,900 students.

The College has also suffered budget cuts in the amounts of $3,207,406 for 2008-2009 fiscal year and $1,933,417 for fiscal year 2009-2010 for a total of $5,140,823 over the last two years due to proration.

According to a news release from the Alabama Community College System, there will be a three-phase tuition adjustment.

The first phase, which begins this spring, will increase tuition to $85 from the current $71 per credit hour.

The second phase will raise tuition $5 to $90 per credit hour and will begin fall 2010. The third phase will raise tuition an additional $2 per credit hour annually beginning fall 2011.

Current institutional fees will remain the same.

The fees include a $9 Facility Renewal Fee, a $9 Technology Fee, and a $1 Bond Reserve Fee.