NWF State College to hike tuition

NICEVILLE - Northwest Florida State College has announced that tuition rates will increase July 1.

Officials decided on the $8.95 credit-hour price increase after considering a number of factors, including affordability, said Jill White, the college's interim president.

Under the new tuition rates, in-state students will pay between $214.80 and $229.92 more in the 2009-10 academic year than they did last year, college spokeswoman Sylvia Bryan said.

"Our college and our board of trustees (are) very proud that we still anticipate having the lowest course fees in the state," White said. "We've worked very hard to maintain that because we feel that the cost of education access."

The increase was based on a range set by the state and the college selected neither the highest nor the lowest percentage increase. It chose a hike that would keep the college fiscally stable, White said.

Tuition fees account for about 37 percent of the college's budget, Bryan said.

NWF State College also has increased its operating budget by more than a $1 million, putting the general operating budget at a little more than $29.73 million for the upcoming school year, according to a press release from the college.

The budget doesn't include any pay raises for the faculty. However, the school's staff will work one day less next year at the same annual pay, White said.

The college will add several programs and hire five additional faculty members this fall, White said.

The board of trustees also said the college can look into expanding its baccalaureate programs to up to four new types of bachelor degrees, but no specific dates were set, the release stated.

The school expects to have between 16,000 and 16,500 students next year.