MONTGOMERY Ala. — Alabama’s two-year colleges will not raise tuition for the fourth consecutive year, Postsecondary Chancellor Bradley Byrne announced Wednesday.
Byrne’s decision comes despite an anticipated budget cut from the Legislature.
“As tempting as it would be this year to increase tuition, we are not going to do it,” he said.
Byrne said the time is not right for a tuition increase because most students at community and technical colleges are commuters who are struggling with gas prices approaching $4 per gallon and other rising expenses.
Tuition and mandatory fees for 15 credit hours for two semesters at Alabama’s community colleges ranges from $2,700 to $3,060. Some four-year universities in Alabama are charging about twice that amount.
Byrne also announced that he is allowing colleges to switch classes, where appropriate, to four days a week, instead of five, to help students save on gas. Byrne said it’s too early to say how many courses can be converted to four days, and he expects most of the changes in the fall because many schools have already locked in their summer schedules.
