That smashing sound you heard yesterday was the sound of piggy banks breaking across the Granite State.
Citing a require to meet an increased demand in services “in the face of diminished point out resources,” the board of trustees of the state’s community college procedure yesterday approved a 6.5 % boost in tuition for the 2010-11 school year.
The vote will boost the annual tuition figure for students taking a minimum full-time course load to $4,680.
On a per-credit basis, the costs rise for in-state students (92 % in the system’s students are New Hampshire natives) from $183 in 2009-10 to $195 in 2010-11, although out-of-state students will see an increase from $418 to $445.
Inside a statement, trustees Chairman Paul Holloway focused on the need to sustain modern learning environments within neighborhood colleges, which historically attract a greater numbers of students during times of economic downturns.
“Across the country, we hear about community colleges closing their doors to students at a time when students most require the opportunities these colleges were created to offer,” Holloway mentioned. “In New Hampshire, we have been able to accommodate the increasing numbers of students of all ages who come to the community colleges seeking an affordable education and career training.”
In generating their decision, trustees stated that increases to federal scholarship programs ought to let the neediest students access to fiscal resources to afford tuition (scholarship support by way of the Community Colleges Foundation rose last year, with $2.4 million awarded compared with $1.6 million the year prior to.
“The community colleges distributed over $61 million from all aid sources (last year), and we anticipate to channel even additional financial aid to New Hampshire students in the upcoming academic year,” program Chancellor Richard Gustafson said inside a statement.
The community college system serves more than 27,000 students annually. It consists of seven colleges: Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth; Lakes Region Community College in Laconia; Manchester Community College; Nashua Community College; New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord; River Valley Community College in both Claremont and Keene; and White Mountains Community College in Berlin.