Colleagues,

 

Last night, the EICC Board of Trustees has approved no increase to tuition or fees for the upcoming academic year.

 

This decision reflects something we’ve heard clearly in conversations across our colleges and communities: affordability matters deeply to our students and families right now. As many of you know, our recent Student Financial Wellness Survey reinforced what many of us already see every day. Students are balancing work, family responsibilities, transportation challenges, housing costs, childcare, and the rising price of simply getting through the week. For many, even a modest increase can become a barrier.

 

Holding the line on tuition and fees is the right thing to do.

 

Now, to be clear, this is not something we can responsibly do every year. Community colleges operate in a challenging environment, and we have to continue balancing affordability with the resources needed to support high-quality instruction, student services, workforce partnerships, and college operations. But in this moment, we believe this decision aligns with both our mission and the realities our students are facing.

 

I want to thank the Board of Trustees for their thoughtful leadership and commitment to student success. I also want to thank each of you. Choosing not to raise tuition is an important decision, but what truly shapes the student experience is the work happening every day across EICC. The way you teach, advise, encourage, support, solve problems, and show care for our students matters more than you probably realize.

 

Thank you for the care you bring to this work and for the difference you make across our colleges and communities.