GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Central Community College students will not see an increase in the cost of tuition and fees for 2024-25. This after the CCC Board of Governors voted unanimously to keep tuition at $96 per credit hour and fees at $16 per credit hour during its monthly meeting on March 21.
The CCC Board also voted to keep the cost of room and board as well as early college for high school students at the same rate as 2023-24. Tuition rates for early college, those still enrolled in high school, range from zero to $96 depending on the high school’s ability to cover instructional costs.
“We are really pleased that we are going to keep the cost to our students the same,” said CCC President Dr. Matt Gotschall. “I think it’s really important that in this day and age when we have such a need for more people to get advanced training for their workforce needs, that we’re able to keep this low-cost in order to make it most accessible for so many different students.”
CCC student Jensine Hall of Grand Island, who is seeking an associate degree of nursing, called the no increase in tuition and fees “a blessing” as she has one more year before she becomes a registered nurse.
“As a mom of three very active children who do sports and other activities, as a full-time employee at the hospital, and living in a two-income household barely making it, a tuition (increase) would be hard on us,” Hall said.
Gotschall said he believes keeping costs where they are is an investment as the vast majority of CCC graduates stay in the region and the state of Nebraska.
“I think it’s great that the state legislature and the governor have put some additional funds into scholarships for Nebraska career scholarships and have been supportive of the community colleges in our efforts to keep tuition low, especially for our early college students who want to start taking college classes while still in high school,” said Gotschall. “Without that support from the state legislature and the governor, that wouldn’t be possible.”