ECC board approves tuition hike
Elgin Community College trustees, as expected, have voted to raise tuition by $6 per credit hour to help pay for maintenance on the new building and renovations paid for through 2009's $178 million referendum campaign.
That puts ECC in the middle of the pack when it comes to tuition prices at local community colleges.
Starting this summer, ECC's tuition will rise to $105 per credit hour. Most classes are three or four credit hours.
Harper College in Palatine and McHenry County College in Crystal Lake are less expensive than ECC. But College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn is still more expensive at $136.
The school already has built the Renner Academic Library and the Health and Life Sciences Building and done renovations on its Multipurpose Classroom Building. At the moment, there is no start date for the Public Safety and Sustainability Center that will be built in Burlington.
The referendum money only covered renovations and construction, not the cost of maintaining the buildings, which is why the increase is necessary, officials said.
“The college had made a commitment to fund the operating and maintenance costs for the buildings with tuition increases and it's been part of the discussion since work for the referendum began, so we knew this was coming,” said Jeff Julian ECC's senior director of communications.
The increase is effective May 29, for the start of the school's summer session,
It comes on the heels of an $8-per-credit-hour increase the board approved last year to maintain the new buildings. Prior to that, the school froze the tuition at $91 for four years.
Since 2003, the school has had six tuition increases — back then, it only cost $56 a credit hour to attend ECC.
It is not yet known whether a tuition increase will be necessary next year, as another raise would depend on several factors, including the college's property tax revenue and state funding.
The vote to raise the tuition was unanimous, although Trustee Robert Getz was absent.
Julian noted that the college is happy to link students with scholarships, financial aid, grants and other assistance.
As of this year, 11,612 students are enrolled at ECC.
How ECC compares with tuition costs at other schools
Where does Elgin Community fall with its tuition increase?
Elgin Community College prides itself on offering an affordable education, but its recent tuition increase puts it on the expensive end of northwest suburban community colleges. Here's a look at how ECC compares with other community colleges.
SchoolTuition (per credit hour)
College of DuPage $136 (after a $4 increase this fall)
Harper College $102.50
Elgin Community College $105 (after a $6 increase this summer)
McHenry County College $90