The Alamo Colleges board passed the increase in July.
By Jason Durant
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Starting in the spring, the five district colleges will charge $99 per credit hour for in-district residents and $215 for out-of-district residents.
An announcement email from the district administration was sent to students, faculty and staff Nov. 2, providing a brief explanation for the increase in tuition and answers to questions students may have.
The Alamo Colleges board of trustees approved the increase of $13 per semester hour at a retreat July 14, according to a video recording of the event.
“We understand students from all walks of life are at different financial situations in their life,” Kristi Wyatt, vice chancellor for communications and engagement, said Nov. 2 in a phone interview.
“However, we encourage students to apply for scholarships and other types of aid as well as letting them know of this change early in advance through email.
“One alternative to financial aid, scholarships or paying out of pocket would be finding out if the student qualifies for the summer momentum plan,” Wyatt said.
The summer momentum plan is an opportunity for students to take tuition-free summer courses if they have earned at least 18 college-level semester hours in fall and spring.
Students who have completed 18 hours can take one three-hour course, and students who have completed 24 hours can take two three-hour courses.
Registration for the spring semester through ACES will begin Nov. 12, beginning with students who have completed 46 credit hours.
All students can register Nov. 16.
The presentation on the budget at the July 14 board retreat is available at the district website.
According to the presentation by Dr. Diane Snyder, vice chancellor for finance and administration, over the last seven years, tuition has increased 8 percent.
Budgets for higher education generally include three main revenue streams: state contributions, property taxes, and tuition and fees.
While tuition has increased for students three times since 2002, Alamo Colleges remains the eighth least-expensive district in the state, according to the presentation.
The presentation did not give tuition for other community colleges.
The presentation compared tuition at Alamo colleges to local universities.
“By attending any community college, ACD included, the average student is saving $20-70k in tuition as opposed to starting at a university their freshman year, taking the same core requirements mandated by the state,” Snyder said in the presentation.
The presentation can be viewed at https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=428336.
