Stark State College, for the first time in four years, is increasing the instructional fee. 

The $10 increase to the fee brings it to $126.50, and is effective starting this summer semester. According to the press release, the instructional fee will only be applied to the first 16 credit hours a student takes each semester; beyond 16 per semester, a student will not be charged an instructional fee. 

Dr. Para M. Jones, President of Stark State College, said in a press release, "This tuition increase will enable the College to continue providing quality educational programs that lead to in-demand careers, which is important to our students and employers.”

Even with the increase, Stark State College remains the lowest in the region, and the college continues to increase scholarship opportunities for students. 

Read more information from a press release from Stark State College below:

The tuition increase was recently approved by the Ohio legislature, authorizing the state’s community and technical colleges to increase tuition by up to $10 from the previous year.

The Trustees also took action to authorize a career services fee of $6 per credit hour, increasing the general fee from $37.10 to $43.10 per credit hour. This adjusted fee also will be effective summer semester and also applied only to the first 16 credit hours a student takes each semester.The fee was approved by the legislature last year, and most other Ohio community colleges opted for the increase then. Stark State, however, has been focused on expansion and realignment of its career services offerings, and the new fee now will allow more comprehensive career assistance as well as a higher level of integrated connection to employers.

The fee also will help fund additional tutoring services, student support services, student success coaches, additional disability and military support services and increase licensed counseling services.

While increases in tuition are necessary in order to maintain quality academic programs; hire and retain outstanding, student-centered faculty and staff; keep class sizes low; and provide state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories, Stark State College continues to seek ways to help make college more affordable for its students. The College has taken these steps in recent years to lower student costs:

• increased scholarship opportunities for students through both the College and The Stark State College Foundation with a combined $900,000 available for student scholarships annually
• worked with Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) to provide free public transportation to any Stark State student on any SARTA route
• partnered with SARTA to add a direct route from Stark State’s main campus in North Canton to the Akron Metro Transit Station and back to main campus at no cost to students, saving Akron students both time and money
• implemented an emergency fund program for students who have an unexpected, one-time need (car repair, home repair) that may hinder their ability to pay for school; the fund can pay the vendor for the unexpected need, so the student can continue to pay for and attend college
• expanded textbook rental to lower the cost of textbooks and participation in a statewide open educational resource consortium to keep textbook costs low for students.