MCC boosts tuition by $8 per credit hour

McHenry County College is the latest college in the area to raise tuition and fees.

The MCC board voted unanimously to raise tuition by $8 to $99 per credit hour for tuition and fees. The new rate takes effect in the fall.

According to a news release, the increase will generate $954,000, which will cover most of a projected $1.2 million budget shortfall.

“We are continuing to provide strong programs that meet the needs of the community and at the same time, maintain a fiscally responsible budget,” MCC President Vicky Smith said. “We are also keeping our commitment to avoid placing any additional burden on the taxpayers.”

The shortfall is the product of several factors: the rising cost of salaries and benefits under collective bargaining agreements, declining state funding and an enrollment spike of more than 30 percent over the past few years, an MCC spokeswoman said.

“State funding is continually decreasing,” college spokeswoman Christina Haggerty said. “There are only two other areas where the funding can be made up: local taxes or tuition and fees. What we’re trying to do is not overburden our taxpayers even more.”

According to the college, administrators recommended a $10-per-hour tuition increase, but the board decided $8 would be more appropriate.

The move comes two months after Elgin Community College increased its tuition by exactly the same amount, from $91 to $99 per credit hour, after a four-year freeze.

Tuition per credit hour, not including fees, is $99 at College of DuPage, $98.50 at Harper College and $81 at College of Lake County, according to their websites.

MCC’s tuition and fees have increased steadily since the 2001-02 academic year, when it cost $54 per credit hour to attend MCC.