A building on the campus of Salem State University. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
BOSTON – Tuition costs at state universities and community colleges won’t change in the next academic year, state policy makers decided Tuesday, but students could still face higher fees and other expenses once those rates are set this spring on local campuses.
The decision doesn’t affect tuition rates for University of Massachusetts campuses, however.
The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education voted unanimously to hold tuition at this year’s rates during a meeting in Boston. After the vote, board officials said tuition rates have been held level for years at state universities and community colleges, with one saying that fees now account for 90 percent of student costs.
According to board documents, the annual resident tuition rates for community colleges in fiscal 2017 range from $720 to $780 and the annual resident undergraduate tuition rates for state universities range from $910 to $970
At UMass, the system’s board of trustees, which received the authority to retain tuition revenues in last year’s state budget debate, will set tuition rates for its campuses. After tuition and fees were frozen for two consecutive years, the UMass Board in June 2015 voted to raise tuition and the mandatory curriculum fee by up to 5 percent for in-state undergraduates.
A building on the campus of Salem State University. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org) 
