The Heartland Community College Board of Trustees approved a small tuition increase Tuesday night.
Students will now pay $148 per credit hour instead of $144. This increase will bring in approximately $430,000 in annual added revenue. Vice Chairman Jim Drew said the hike was not necessarily inspired by the Illinois budget impasse.
"The current state budget isn't as much of an impact or driver for this particular tuition increase," said Drew. "It's really driven more by the multi-year plan and the longer term financial challenges we're planning for."
Additionally, HCC President Rob Widmer said the possibility of no state funding is at the front and center of is mind.
Widmer said the chance of the Illinois budget impasse holding funds from Heartland is not unrealistic.
"I think it's only prudent that we look at what are a variety of scenarios at different levels," said Widmer. "And one of those is potentially if there is no state funding coming our direction."
Survey results discussed at the meeting showed students appreciating small, more frequent increases in tuition rather than larger, spaced out hikes.
Heartland Community College was also recently forced to return more than $37,000 in grant money to Springfield. Drew said Heartland was awarded the money one day before the end Fiscal Year 2016. The money could only be used for FY2016 and six months of the FY2017.
HCC had already allocated funds to each budget plan and was unable to use the money within that time frame.
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