The Board of Trustees of Illinois Valley Community College has approved a tuition and fee increase of $8 per credit hour, effective from the Summer 2026 term, along with various course fee changes for Fiscal Year 2027.
Tuition rates will rise from $132.60 to $138.60 per credit hour. The universal fee will go up by $2, dedicated to technology, making it $12.40, while student activity fees will stay at $3. The new combined tuition and universal fee rate will be $154 per credit hour, marking a 5.5% increase over the FY2026 rate of $146.
According to IVCC President Tracy Morris, the tuition decision followed a two- to three-month review process. Administrators analyzed peer institutions, institutional needs, and long-term financial planning before presenting the proposal to the Student Government Association (SGA), the Board Audit and Finance Committee, and ultimately the full board.
“We take tuition increases very seriously,” Morris said. “Our goal is to stay in the middle — never the most expensive.”
IVCC’s peer colleges had an average tuition rate of $156.47 in FY26. Compared with similar sized Illinois community colleges, IVCC was below five of six colleges in its peer group.
Morris noted, “The tuition increase is necessary to keep up with the Consumer Price Index, which is a measure of inflation, as well as increased costs in operating the college, including insurance, supplies, tariffs, and technology. The technology fee, which is being increased by $2, is in its second year of a two-year increase. This fee helps pay for upgrades to our wireless and wired technology, much of which is over 10 years old.”
Before the board voted, the President’s Council met with SGA to explain the proposal. Danica Scoma of the Student Government said members supported the increase after discussion.
“The President’s Council came to the Student Government Association to discuss the tuition increase before the board voted to approve,” Scoma said. “As a group, we thought Tracy Morris and Kathy Ross explained this decision well, to keep tuition costs fair for students while continuing to try to match the tuition median. Even after this increase, we are still among the lowest of our neighboring community colleges. For the small and fair increase per credit hour, the Student Government felt comfortable approving the President’s proposal.”
In addition, the board voted on changes to course fees. Course fees are reviewed each year, and this is done by the program coordinators and deans based on guidelines that have been established. There are 267 active courses with fees that have been approved, and 169 of those will experience a change. This includes 131 with a fee increase, four with a fee decrease, one with a fee added, and 33 with fees that will be inactivated. For those courses that increase by more than $10, there is a written rationale that is provided. Courses that take place within a dedicated instructional computer lab will continue with a $5 per-credit-hour technical support fee, which is the same since FY20.
For those students that receive financial aid, this increase will mean that there is no cost or very little cost. However, there will be a cost of up to $120 more per semester for those that do not qualify, such as international students.
“If $120 is a barrier, prevent someone from attending, please reach out,” Morris said. “Our goal is to help students reach their goals.”