Published 04/14/2025
Media Contact:
Susan Pollard, VCCS Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications
spollard@vccs.edu
The State Board for Virginia鈥檚 Community Colleges voted May 22 to set tuition and mandatory educational and general (E&G) fees for the academic year that begins with the Fall 2025 semester.聽 For in-state students, tuition and mandatory E&G fees will increase $4.90 per credit hour.聽 Out-of-state students will see an increase of $7.40 per credit hour. For in-state students pursuing full-time studies (15 credit hours/semester) the 2025-26 tuition and mandatory E&G fees will amount to an increase of $73.50 per semester, or $147.00 per year.
Virginia community college tuition remains less than one-third the cost of attending the state鈥檚 public four-year baccalaureate institutions, offering Virginia鈥檚 most affordable and accessible pathway to better jobs.
鈥淩ecognizing that many Virginia families face financial challenges, our Board, administrators and leaders at all of our 23 colleges across the state work hard to control costs,鈥� said State Board Chair Terri Thompson. 鈥淭hese tuition increases are necessary to pay for additional costs of operating Virginia鈥檚 community colleges, including costs associated with state-mandated compensation and benefit increases, technology costs, and insurance premiums.鈥�
Some colleges have tuition differentials and other mandatory fees covering student activities. Auxiliary operations also vary at the community college level. Check individual college websites for locally-relevant information.
鈥淥ur colleges provide high-quality programs that deliver life-changing benefits to our learners and we are committed to ensuring that our programs are affordable,鈥� said VCCS Chancellor David Dor茅.聽 鈥淥ur financial assistance programs also remove many of the financial barriers that our learners routinely encounter.鈥�
Community colleges remain the lowest-funded higher education institutions in Virginia, receiving less than 57 cents for every one dollar that goes to support a full-time equivalent student at a public Virginia university. Additionally, expenditures per full-time student at Virginia鈥檚 Community Colleges are in the 23rd聽percentile in the nation, meaning 77% of community colleges across the country spend more per student.