Grand Rapids Community College board of trustees approves $2 tuition increase

At a March 20 meeting, the GRCC Board of Trustees approved the 1.7% tuition increase for the 2023-24 year. The increase will equal $2 per contact hour for students from the district. This increase is in line with the school’s effort to continue to provide higher education accessible and affordable for students of any age in West Michigan.

The new tuition rate was unanimously approved by the board of trustees. Grand Rapids Community College’s President Charles Lepper was quoted in a press release from the school about the school being focused on keeping a college education affordable for people in the community, especially those who face financial challenges, saying, “A college education will change lives. We tell our community members, ‘You belong at GRCC, and we will help you be successful.’ We want to keep our tuition as affordable as possible to help students of all ages get the education they want and need.”

The tuition rate for students residing in the district will be $120 per contact hour after the 1.7% increase, or $2 per contact hour from the previous rate. The total cost for many full time students will then be $4,059.

The tuition change is happening alongside movements in the wider culture where students have many different options to pursue higher education while having many costs covered by federal, state, and local programs. According to the press release, one in five students who attended GRCC during the 2023 winter semester had their tuition covered by a scholarship or grant program. 

For example, students ages 25 years and older who do not have a degree have the Michigan Reconnect program available to them, which will cover the cost of in-district tuition. More information about Michigan Reconnect can be found here.

There is also the new Michigan Achievement Scholarship which has the ability to provide future Grand Rapids Community College students with over half of the cost of a full-time semester.

Students are also encouraged to look into whether they can qualify for a federal Pell Grant, or for scholarships available through the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation. More information about financial aid through the school can be found here.

Community colleges in Michigan receive their revenue from three primary sources: state aid, local property taxes, and tuition and fees.

David Koetje, who serves as chairperson of the GRCC board of trustees, talked about the tough decision to raise tuition, saying, “We don’t take approving tuition increases lightly. Trustees recognize any increase in tuition can create a challenge for some students. But the college crafted a responsible financial plan, considering the rising costs we all are facing and some of the structural challenges in the way colleges are funded. We think this is a plan that allows us to continue delivering a high-quality education while keeping the cost to students as low as possible.”

More information about Grand Rapids Community College can be found on the school’s website.