Technical colleges raise tuition by 13 percent - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Students attending any of Georgia's 25 technical colleges will pay more starting with the spring semester that begins in January.

The board that runs the system voted Thursday to increase tuition to $85 per credit hour, up from $75. That means $1,275 for a full 15-hour course load, up from $1,125.

The board also added a new $50 "institutional fee" per semester for the spring semester and a $50 fee for each online course starting in fall 2013. The system says students will pay an average of $223 in fees starting in the spring.

The moves will push the average total cost of attendance, including books, to about $2,000 per semester.

That's more than double what qualifying students can receive from HOPE grants. Those awards pay $60.75 per credit hour.

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PRESS RELEASE

September 7, 2012- ATLANTA, GA- The state board that oversees the Technical College System of Georgia today approved the system's request for a tuition increase of $10 per credit hour starting next year.

TCSG students at the 25 TCSG colleges will pay $85 per credit hour beginning in the spring 2013 semester. As a result, tuition for a full, 15-hour course load will cost $1,275 next semester, or $150 more than today.

Three-quarters of TCSG students use HOPE to help pay for their tuition, mostly in the form of the HOPE grant, which pays $60.75 per credit hour. With the increase, students who enroll under the HOPE grant will pay $364 in out of pocket tuition for a full semester, up from the $214 that they currently spend.

In addition, the TCSG board approved a new $50 institutional fee beginning in spring 2013 and a $50 fee for online courses starting in fall 2013. TCSG students will pay, on average, a total of $223 in fees starting in the spring.

Once the expense of books is added in, usually about $500, the total cost to attend a TCSG college full-time for a semester next year will be just under $2,000. The out of-pocket cost for students who qualify for the HOPE grant will be about $1,086.

Many students can reduce the cost of their TCSG education if they qualify for the federal Pell grant, which is awarded based on financial need. Last year, more than half of the 170,000 students who enrolled at TCSG colleges utilized the Pell grant.

"A tuition and fee increase was made necessary by the rising expenses to deliver our programs and lower state appropriations," said TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson. "A state technical college education remains an excellent value compared to the cost, yet we fully understand the impact that any additional expense has on our students. The colleges will do all that they can to provide sources of financial assistance to those who need it most. We're committed to seeing that all of our students get the opportunity they deserve to be a part of Georgia's 21st century workforce."

About Albany Technical College

A public post secondary institution of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), Albany Technical College provides technical education and training support for the evolving workforce needs of Southwest Georgia through traditional and online classroom settings. Albany Tech is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS/COC).

For more information about Albany Tech, go to www.albanytech.edu or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AlbanyTech or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlbanyTech.

About the TCSG

The 25 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia offer affordable education and excellent training in more than 600 certificate, diploma and two-year associate degree programs. Students of all ages take advantage of outstanding instructors, hands-on learning and state-of-the-art equipment to gain the skills needed for today's in-demand jobs.

In 2012, the TCSG colleges delivered 2.7 million credit hours of instruction to 170,000 students. The TCSG is online, too, serving 85,000 students through the system's Georgia Virtual Technical Connection. Many TCSG students enjoy the benefits of Georgia's HOPE grant and scholarship and the federal Pell grant, which will pay for a significant portion of a TCSG education.