Nixon announces tuition freeze plan for community colleges
In an agreement similar to one made earlier this week, Gov. Jay Nixon announced the presidents of Missouri's community colleges have agreed not to raise their tuition for the second year in a row. In return, Nixon is proposing to keep at least 95 percent of higher education funding in place.
This freeze was important to help move Missouri forward, Nixon said in a news release.
“As tuition skyrockets by double digits in other states, university leaders, faculty members and my administration have worked together to put Missouri students first and protect them from tuition spikes for the second year in a row," Nixon said. "By helping keep higher education affordable, we are taking bold steps to prepare the workforce that will move Missouri forward.”
The resulting 5.2 percent cut from higher education means about $8 million of funding will be cut from Missouri community colleges. Like the agreement announced earlier this week, it must be approved by the general assembly and the governing boards of the affected institutions.
Community colleges are vital in producing a trained workforce Marcia Pfeiffer, president of St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley, said in the news release.
“This agreement will help keep higher education affordable for Missouri students and their families," Pfeiffer said. "It also means our state’s community colleges can count on a stable source of funding during these trying economic times. This agreement will enable us to continue our mission of equipping students with the skills they need to compete in today’s job market.”
