Gadsden State students' tuition rising; bulk of increase goes to building projects

Students who attend Gadsden State Community College this fall will be paying $10 more per credit hour, with the bulk of that increase coming from an $8 hike in the special building fee.

That increase will boost the school's annual revenue by about $600,000, according to a news release from the college, although school officials insist it remains “one of the most affordable options for higher education in Alabama,” as President Kathy Murphy put it.

The remaining $2 per credit hour is the standard tuition increase, according to the release.

Students will now pay $178 per credit hour, compared to $168 previously, but the release cited Alabama Commission on Higher Education data that shows the cost of tuition and fees for 30 credit hours at Gadsden State is roughly $6,600 less than the average cost at public universities at the state.

The special building fee funds improvements of the college's infrastructure and facilities — something it's done aggressively, to the tune of millions of dollars — and finances its bond debt.

In less than a year, Gadsden State has:

• Cut the ribbon on its new Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce Skills Training Center on its East Broad Street campus;

• Debuted renovations of Helderman Hall, which houses its nursing program; and Bevill Hall, home to its radiography, medical laboratory technology and medical assistant programs , on its Wallace Drive campus;

• Broken ground for a baseball and softball complex at the Gadsden Sports Park behind the Wallace Drive campus;

• Announced a large-scale interior and exterior renovation to the Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center on the Wallace Drive campus.

Murphy said those improvements “(enhance) the overall education environment,” and benefit both GSCC's students and the community.

“The comprehensive renovations and ambitious new construction projects are designed to provide our students and employees with facilities that foster learning and innovation,” she said. “Our commitment to the advancements and enhancements on our campuses ensures that Gadsden State will remain at the forefront of academic excellence in the communities we serve.”

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden State students' tuition rising; bulk of increase goes to building projects