The Board of Trustees narrowly approved a 3.71% increase in tuition across the board during their meeting March 24, which includes in-county and out-of-county fees. The motion passed 3-2 and is scheduled to take effect fall 2025.
Curtis Creagh, vice president of Finance and Administration, presented a proposed 4.5% tuition increase. However, multiple board members were hesitant to approve this, and instead delegated the possibility of a 3.71% increase.
The 3.71% increase includes a total net tuition of $566,594.75. This includes resident tuition, non-resident tuition, out-of-state tuition, as well as Lifelong Learning for the Fall, Winter and Summer 2025 semesters, according to a presentation from the board meeting.
For the Fall 2025 semester under the 3.71% increase, resident tuition would be $134.33 per contact hour, non-resident tuition would be $229.47 per contact hour, and out-of-state tuition would be $255.62.
Current tuition rates for the summer 2025 semester are $129.52 for in-county residents, $221.26 for non-residents, and $246.48 for out-of-state students.
Creagh said the recommendation was to go with the 4.5%.
Creagh agreed the 3.71% raise is essentially the same amount as the 4.5% raise, just with money dispersed differently.
If the board agreed to the 4.5% increase, resident tuition would have been $135.35 per contact hour, non-resident tuition would have been $231.22 per contact hour, and out-of-state tuition would have been $257.57 per contact hour.
President Kojo Quartey said the 4.5% raise was the Governor’s cap on tuition increase. This means they couldn’t raise the amount above 4.5%.
Quartey said the intention was to raise it across the board and not just in certain areas.
Trustee Linda Roberts questioned if the 4.5% raise would be a good idea since the board is planning on putting the millage back on the ballot after it failed during the Nov. 5, 2024, election. A millage is a property tax.
Trustee Julie Edwards had concerns about going for the highest amount they could.
“I think all of us, as elected trustees, have to look out for the people that elected us and raising it to the top tier — honestly, it just does not feel good, and it’s written all over my face,” Edwards said. “You can all see it. I don’t think that that’s a wonderful idea.”
Edwards said between the millage and technology fees, it seemed like a bad idea.
“So, we’re asking for more and more, which does not feel good,” she said.
Edwards also explained how she was concerned about MCCC’s tuition being higher than that of neighboring schools, including Wayne County Community College.
However, Chair Aaron Mason said there was a different rate of dollars when talking about out of county, which is more expensive.
Josh Myers, executive director of The Foundation, said there could be an argument made that the board should steadily increase tuition over time to prevent any future problems.
Myers said students should apply for scholarships, even if the tuition increase doesn’t affect them as much as others.
Trustee Mary Kay Thayer said she would have felt more comfortable going with a 3.0% raise because of the similarities between the 3.71% and 4.5%.
“It’s the same dollar,” Thayer said.
Mason said he was not comfortable with the 4.5% increase either. He said the 3.71% was acceptable to him.
The motion passed with nays from Thayer and trustee Kristy Svatek-Whitson.
