Collin College students will see an increase to their tuition for the third school year in a row.

The Collin College board of trustees approved a tuition increase during the Feb. 27 regular meeting. For in-district residents the increase will be $4 per credit hour. Out-of-district students will see an $8 per-credit-hour increase, and out-of-state/country residents will see a $13 per-credit-hour increase. The increase will become effective this fall.

The revenue generated from the increase would be approximately $3.5 million for the 2018-19 school year, said Brenda Kihl Collin College Executive Vice President.

“[Increasing tuition] is in preparation for the new campuses that we’re bringing online, and we’re starting to hire faculty next year so that we don’t have all brand-new faculty at the new campuses when they open,” Kihl said.

Collin College is expected to open a new campus in Wylie and a technical training center in Allen. With the opening of new campuses, enrollment is expected to increase.

“By increasing tuition, we are meeting all the classroom needs and the instruction needs of those additional students next year,” Kihl said.

Kihl said even with the increase, Collin College will still offer one of the lowest tuitions among community colleges in Texas.

“Keeping tuition low is for our students to be able to come to college and not have the cost be any kind of barrier for them achieving their higher education goals,” Kihl said. “So it’s really about making college affordable and accessible, and the cost is a huge part of the access.”