By John Burton
MIDDLETOWN – Students will have to dig a little deeper in their pockets at Brookdale Community College starting in July.
The board of trustees of the college, with its main campus in the township’s Lincroft section, voted on Jan. 29 to approve a 3.4 percent tuition increase for the 2015-16 school year, according to information provided by the college on Friday afternoon.
That translates into a $4 per credit increase, which goes into effect on July 1,going from $118.75 to $122.75.
For a fulltime student taking 30 credits for the year that translates into an annual increase of $148.80.
Student fees, which are calculated at 24 percent of tuition, will increase from $28.50 per credit to $29.46, according to the college.
The board’s move is being done in an attempt to address a decrease in enrollment and in state and county funding school officials have been seeing over the last few years.
The board recently voted to eliminate a number of positions as another cost saving measure.
Tuition had risen .2 percent since 2010 with credits costing $118.50 each. Tuition was cut in 2012 and 2013 in light of the economic recession, bringing a per credit cost to $115.50. It was increased in 2014 bringing a credit again to $118.75, according to the college.
“We understand the impact any size tuition increase can have on our students, which is why we have worked so diligently to keep tuition affordable,” Maureen Murphy, college president, said in a released statement. “However, we must also ensure that we continue to provide the same high-quality education we always have. These changes will allow us to do that.”
