HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — Tidewater Community College announced on Friday that the college will not change tuition rates and fees for the upcoming fall 2020 semester.

For the second consecutive year, the board voted on May 21 to hold tuition and fees steady for the coming fall semester for all 23 of Virginia’s Community Colleges. The decision was made unanimously by the State Board for Community Colleges.

The State Board decision will keep TCC’s in-state tuition and mandatory fees at a rate of $185.35 per credit hour and out-of-state will remain at $385.45 per credit hour.

The cost is about one-third of the cost to attend one of Virginia’s public four-year universities.

“The decision by the State Board to freeze tuition and fees for the Fall Semester reaffirms our commitment to ensuring access and affordability for our students and their families,” said TCC President Marcia Conston. “While that is always a priority, it is especially significant during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges, said, “We are doing everything we can to be an affordable, accessible resource for Virginians. Some people find themselves unexpectedly out of work. Others are looking for safer, convenient options to pursue their college aspirations. We want to be there for them.”

He added, “We’d like to maintain that rate beyond the fall, if the state funding exists to help us do that responsibly.”

More information on TCC and COVID-19 can be found at tcc.edu.

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