The Dallas College board of trustees approved a $20 per hour credit increase in tuition on Sept. 10. The new tuition, starting the Spring 2025 semester, will increase the cost from $79 per credit hour to $99 for in-county residents. Out-of-country residents will see an increase from $135 to $169 and $200 to $250 for international students.
“The decision to raise tuition reflects my ongoing dedication to support students while navigating the financial pressures of inflation,” Cliff Boyd, vice chair of the board, said in an opinion article for The Dallas Morning News. “As a Dallas College trustee, my commitment to maintaining affordability and access for our students is unwavering.”
This tuition rise will be a 25.3% increase in one year, costing an estimated additional $300 per semester for full time in-county students.
Phil Ritter, District 2 trustee, opposed the increase. In an opinion article for The Dallas Morning News, Ritter said, “A tuition increase is regressive, hurting those with the least ability to pay… Many of our students struggle to make ends meet.”
Dallas College gets its funding from three main factors — tax revenue, tuition revenue and state funding. The Texas legislature reformulated funding for community colleges in 2023, investing $683 million more, based on parameters such as transfer rates and completion of degrees. According to Ritter, excluding these additional fundings the next fiscal year, Dallas College state funding is likely to decrease by $4.87 million.
“I think [the increase] is necessary for inflation, but I wish it wasn’t,” Brookhaven student Bridget Thornton said. “It could negatively impact people who are relying on community college because of the price.”
While Dallas College has a lower tuition than the Texas community college average of $105 per credit hour, it still has a higher tuition cost regionally in comparison to similar colleges in Tarrant and Collin counties, such as Collin College and Tarrant County College.
Dallas College’s last tuition increase was in 2019, when tuition was raised by $20 per credit hour for in-county students. That increase brought the IncludeEd program, which covered the costs of textbooks and other learning resources. IncludeEd allowed students to opt out on a semester-by-semester basis, which lowered the tuition back to the previous amount, but students were responsible for buying their own textbooks.
“Our students include single parents, working one or two jobs while raising a family,” Ritter said. “Higher tuition will create hardship. … As with any product or service, raising prices lowers demand.”
Boyd said the increase is to ensure the college can continue to offer students academic and non academic resources. He said this will allow further investments into expanding programs, specialized courses, certifications and more resources to prepare students for the “modern workforce.”
“I see Dallas College as a pillar of opportunity for our diverse and dynamic region,” Boyd said. “Dallas College’s long-term success requires balancing affordability with the need to maintain a vibrant and effective educational institution.”
