Tuition to increase $3 at community college

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Eastern Gateway Community College students will see a $3 tuition increase to a total of $99 per credit- hour this fall.

The college’s new board of trustees approved the increase in all categories earlier this month.

Eastern Gateway began operations last fall. Its predecessor, Jefferson Community College, had held the line on tuition at $96 per credit-hour for the last three years. Jefferson is now the Jefferson County Campus of Eastern Gateway.

The Ohio Board of Regents is permitting colleges to raise tuition by 3.5 percent this academic year. Eastern Gateway’s $3 per credit-hour is just below the maximum allowed. Even with the increase, Eastern Gateway’s rates are still among the four lowest in the state.

The increase won’t affect Youngstown Early College students enrolling in Eastern Gateway courses. The trustees made it clear those students will pay the $96 per credit-hour rate.

Eastern Gateway is gradually assuming the college role in the early-college program that was launched by Youngstown State University and the Youngstown city schools as a way to enable promising high school students to earn college credit — and, in some cases, an associate degree — while completing their high school education.

YSU is gradually disengaging from the program over the next three years.

This year’s in-coming Youngstown Early College freshmen will be enrolled in Eastern Gateway’s Succeeding in College class this summer. A total of 65 students are expected to enroll.