The economic crisis has taken a heavy toll on all walks of life. However, students at Collin College will soon see a welcome sight on the horizon as they plan for spring semester—lower fees.

The Collin College Board of Trustees voted on Aug. 25 to decrease the building use fee by $3 per credit hour, effective spring 2010. That reduces the total student cost for tuition and fees to $34 per credit hour for those who live in Collin County—an overall reduction of roughly 8 percent. Total costs for students who live outside of Collin County or out-of-state/ out-of-country will be frozen at $61 and $116 per credit hour, respectively.

“We want to keep a Collin education as affordable and accessible as possible to anyone who desires a college education,” said Dr. Bob Collins, Board of Trustees chair and founding board member. “This reduction in fees helps to relieve the impact of the economic downturn on our students and reduce their costs for acquiring a top-notch education.”

It is not the first time the college has made a move to control costs for students and taxpayers. 2010 will be the fourth straight year that the college has frozen in-county tuition. Also, this will be the 11th year in a row that taxpayers will see a lower local property tax rate for the college.

Cary Israel, the president of Collin College, said, “Thanks to the foresight and leadership of our trustees, this college began consolidating and centralizing functions years ago to lower administrative costs. These efficiencies allowed us to reduce fees at a crucial time when so many individuals are struggling financially.”

In addition, Israel said state legislators and the governor showed tremendous support for higher education in the recent legislative session. “They came through with much needed state appropriations, and we are highly appreciative of their efforts,” said Israel.

For information on Collin College tuition and fees, visit www.ccccd.edu/ gettingstarted/bursar/tuition.html