Tuition to increase for 2016-17

  POPLARVILLE – The Pearl River Community College Board of Trustees approved a small tuition increase at its regular monthly meeting on May 10.
  Tuition will increase by $100 per semester to $1,425 or $2,850 per year, effective with the fall 2016 semester.
  “We appreciate the fact that our Board of Trustees has supported our recommendation,” said Dr. William Lewis, PRCC president. “We’re always mindful of keeping the expense of attending our college as low as possible for our students. With this modest increase, we’ll be able to ensure a balanced budget.”
  Community college, especially PRCC, remains an affordable higher education option, he said.
  Tuition at the University of Southern Mississippi, for example, will be $7,659 per year for the 2016-17 year.
  The board also approved raising the full load of classes from 12 hours to 15 hours to align with current policies.
  “If you’re in the dorm or receiving institutional aid, you’re required to maintain a load of 15 hours,” said Roger Knight, vice president for business and administrative services.
  Room and board also will increase by $50 per semester to $2,400 for suites and $2,200 for traditional double-occupancy rooms.