BEATRICE – Southeast Community College will hold its tuition rate stable, this coming year, but institute a slight increase in the facilities fee students pay.


That fee will increase by two-dollars, per semester-hour, following approval by the SCC Board meeting Tuesday on the Beatrice Campus.


"The two-dollar fee increase will allow SCC to address some of those capacity issues, due to the enrollment increase. And, we'll be able to use this for buildings or other initiatives to address facilities," said Amy Jorgens, Chief Financial Officer for Southeast Community College.

SCC expects to receive at least a nine-percent increase in community college futures fund money through the State of Nebraska this coming year. College President Dr. Paul Illich says that money can only be used for college general operations, not building projects. Jorgens says the facilities fee revenue is pledged toward bond issues for new facilities and she says the school has a high bond rating, partly because of using that revenue to support facilities.


This spring, SCC recorded about a 12-percent increase in student enrollment.


Linda Hartman, a Faculty Representative on the SCC Board, would like the school to take a closer look at not charging a higher rate for out-of-state tuition.  "The out-of-state tuition....we are so close to Kansas, especially here...I think it would attract more students if we didn't charge more for out-of-state tuition. Most of them are moving here and living on-campus, and we're getting a lot more athletes too, from different states. So, I think we would attract them if we didn't charge more for out-of-state tuition. Peru is doing that, not charging more for out-of-state than they are for in-state."


This coming year, in-state students attending Southeast Community College will pay $125 per semester hour, while an out-of-state student will pay $146 per hour.