Originally published in the Eagle View’s print edition on March 18.
On Feb. 17, NWACC’s board of trustees approved raising tuition and fees for students in the upcoming fiscal year of 2026. The fiscal year begins July 1, 2025.
The meeting held two rounds of voting for the matter. The original proposed tuition and fees plan had it set for a tuition raise for the next three fiscal years, but that plan failed to pass. The second round of votes approved for the next fiscal year passed 6-1. One trustee, Joe Spivey, voted against the proposed increase both times. The approved fees include an additional $12 per credit hour and $5 per course for the forthcoming fiscal year. The fees would go toward improving campus experience for students and helping improve the wages for staff and faculty.
While the original proposal that trustees considered was to approve a plan for increased tuition levels for the next three fiscal years, the idea met resistance from some of the trustees. In the first round of voting, the proposal received 5 nays and 2 yes votes. Trustee Joe Spivey spoke about his disapproval of the bill. Spivey said on the course of his re-election in fall of 2024 he spoke to many voters who worried about any new tuition raises that might be proposed in the future, and he assured them he would be against any more raises. “When you make a promise, you can’t break that promise,” Spivey said at the meeting.
NWACC’s President Dennis Rittle told trustees that the raise will allow improvements in maintaining the campus buildings and keeping up with staff salaries in the following years. When most trustees seemed to have reservations, Rittle said, “I know it brings heartburn towards tuition, but it is necessary.” At the meeting, presenters stated there isn’t another way of cost-cutting, and raising fees is an effective way for improvement.
Trustees then conducted the vote on the fiscal 2026 tuition rate, which resulted in the 6-1 vote.
While NWACC’s financial team received the approval for the first year of tuition increases, the board members wanted to reserve the option of considering further increases in subsequent years. Rittle said, “We need to do this for our staff, for our students, and for our community.”
December 2025 update:
The Board of Trustees typically considers tuition rates and fees during the spring for the following academic year.
