Gov. McDonnell Touts Virginia's Slowed Tuition Hikes

As students prepare to return to the campuses of Virginia's public colleges in the next few weeks, their tuition bills won't see the dramatic hikes that have marked them in year's past, thanks to funds allocated by the state government.

Gov. Bob McDonnell says the smaller increases this year are due to increased funding in higher education as well as schools finding ways to cut costs.

McDonnell notes that Virginia tuition skyrocketed overall by 91 percent over the last decade, which he calls an unacceptable trend. State Council of Higher Education Chair Gil Bland says this significantly reduces the burden on parents and students who, over the past 10-years, saw an average yearly increase in tuition and fees of 9.1 percent at four-year colleges and 7.1 percent at two-year colleges.

"Next year, in-state undergraduates will only be 4.1 percent or $384 more per family," says Bland. "And for many Virginians attending our community colleges, they will see a 4.6 increase, paying approximately $165 more each year."

Bland and the governor say efforts are underway to allocate additional funding and apply more efficiencies in the near future to continue that trend.