By Mark Bauer/editor-in-chief
Tuition costs and fees for students at TCC will remain the same for the remainder of the calendar year, as well as through the next.
The recommendation by Chancellor Leonardo De La Garza that the college not raise tuition for the 2008-09 school year was passed by the Board of Trustees last Wednesday.
Dr. Bill Lace, executive assistant to the chancellor, said the decision was economically focused and student driven.
The purpose was to “maintain as much access to higher education as we can,” he said. “It really is just about keeping the students in mind.”
At $600 for 12 credit hours for in-county students, TCC ranks below the average cost of $638 among other community colleges in the state.
The cost increases to $756 and $1,800 for non-district and non-residents, respectively.
The largest, most recent change to tuition occurred in 2004 when the district cost went from $31 to $48 per credit hour following a recommendation from the Student Tuition and Fee Study Committee.
Tuition was also raised last spring—but it affected only those out of county and out of state.
Another order of business at the meeting entailed transferring $1.6 million from the contract with Austin Commercial/Con-Real back to TCC for the downtown contingency budget.
Dr. David Wells, vice chancellor of operations and planning services, told the board that the process of looking at ways to reduce construction costs is an on-going process, and as the project continues, more unforeseen changes to the budget will arise.
Lace said careful planning was responsible for millions of dollars in savings before a contract was awarded, but this is the first time money has been put back into the contingency since.
In January, the board approved the use of nearly half the $22 million contingency.
Tuition Costs Facts
Legal resident of Tarrant County for tuition purposes: $50 per semester hour
Legal resident of any other Texas county for tuition purposes: $73 per semester hour
Legal resident of another state for tuition purposes: $165 per semester hour
Costs of other community colleges: http://www.tacc.org/documents/tuitionFa07_008.pdf
