Applauds Decision by Community College Presidents to Hold Tuition Increases to $5 or Less Per Credit Hour in 2011-2012

Press Release

Gov. Jay Nixon today applauded a decision by Missouri's community college leaders to keep tuition increases to $5 or less per credit hour during the 2011-2012 school year.

"While tuition has skyrocketed in other states, that has not been the case here in Missouri," Gov. Nixon said. "To compete for the jobs of the 21st century, education beyond high school is becoming increasingly critical, and Missouri's community colleges prepare our students to move directly from the classroom to the workforce. We continue to make community colleges a great value for students and families across Missouri, and I applaud Missouri's community colleges for working with us to make education affordable for our students"

Gov. Nixon today joined leaders from Crowder College in Neosho and Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield to announce this decision by the college presidents.

"Affordability is one of the greatest strengths of our state's community colleges," said Hal Higdon, Missouri Community College Association chairman and Ozarks Technical Community College president. "We think that our relatively low cost, together with the high quality of the programs we offer, has led to the dramatic enrollment increases community colleges have experienced. We appreciate Gov. Nixon's commitment to community colleges and his continued leadership and support, especially in these challenging economic times. We look forward to continuing to work with the Governor, the General Assembly and our boards to keep costs low for our students."

"Community colleges serve students from diverse backgrounds with diverse educational and career goals," said Alan Marble, president of Crowder College in Neosho. "By limiting tuition increases to no more than $5 per credit hour, we can open the doors of our colleges to more students, and provide more opportunities for learning and success. We thank Gov. Nixon for his continued investment in our institutions."

In addition to keeping community college tuition low in Missouri, Gov. Nixon also has called for the expansion of the state's successful A+ scholarship program to provide scholarships to high-achieving students from low-income families who attend schools that have not earned the A+ designation. Under current program requirements, students must graduate from designated A+ high schools to be eligible for these scholarships. This requirement excludes many students from the state's most urban and rural areas from eligibility.

Earlier this month, Gov. Nixon also announced that his administration was increasing scholarship amounts for the state's need-based Access Missouri scholarships for the current academic year. The Governor's recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2012 increases funding for Access Missouri over the current year's appropriation as well.

Gov. Nixon has made college affordability a top priority during his first two years in office. Last week, he was named chair of the National Governors Association Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee, which has jurisdiction over issues in the field of education, including early childhood, elementary and secondary and higher education, as well as issues concerning workforce development and labor.

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