Due to state funding uncertainty, students’ tuition bill will increase by $6 to $130 per credit hour beginning in the summer, following approval by the IVCC Board of Trustees at their Feb. 9 meeting.

 

The general tuition increase was approved, along with an increase of $133 per course for the RN program, which is expensive partly because of the state-mandated low student-to-faculty ratio: 1-to-8 for courses with a clinical, according to information released by the college after a Jan. 24 audit finance committee meeting, where the tuition increase was discussed.

 

Despite the increase, tuition at IVCC is still low. “Even at that rate, we remain well below the state average for community colleges and just one-third the cost of Illinois State and Northern Illinois and one-fourth the cost of the University of Illinois,” said IVCC President Jerry Corcoran.

 

The average combined tuition fee and universal fee rate for community colleges in Illinois this year is $133.42, according to Vice President for Business Services and Finance Cheryl Roelfsema.

 

When compared to similarly-sized community colleges, IVCC’s rates are higher than four and lower than six, according to the Jan. 24 press release.

 

At their Feb. 9 meeting, the IVCC Board of Trustees discussed the proposed increases. No one was happy about approving them, but the board agreed it was the fiscally responsible thing to do with uncertain state revenue.

 

IVCC has not received a full allocation from the state for the past two years, as the General Assembly and the governor’s office remain in a gridlock over state spending.

Both the general tuition increase and the RN program increase were approved by the IVCC Board of Trustees at the meeting, along with new course fees.