Valencia College students won’t see an increase in tuition when the fall semester begins, as the school’s trustees agreed on Tuesday to maintain the current level.
Although Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a tuition hike for Florida colleges on Monday, Valencia’s board could still have raised tuition on its own by up to 10.5 percent to make up for those years when the college had not raised tuition as much as it was allowed to.
At $99.06 per credit hour for Florida residents, Valencia’s tuition and fees are the lowest among Central Florida’s state colleges, including Seminole State College and Polk and Brevard community colleges, and are about half the cost of a state university.
“I want to compliment the staff and the administration on doing something that’s really remarkable: holding the line on costs and still achieving remarkable results,” said vice chair Lew Oliver.
Last year, Valencia’s leaders held the line and declined to raise tuition, although authorized to do so by the Florida Legislature.
“The college will never be cheaper than right now,” said Valencia President Sandy Shugart, who encouraged students to enroll in the fall because a tuition increase is likely for next year.
