AACC’s Board of Trustees approved a $145.1 million operating budget on Feb. 25 that includes an increase in tuition of $5 per credit hour starting in the fall.

The fiscal year 2026 budget, which is subject to approval by the Anne Arundel County executive and the county council by June 15, is $6 million more than last year’s.

The tuition increase, “really that’s related to what it costs to continue to run the college,” said Vice President for Learning Resources Management Melissa Beardmore, who noted the trustees discussed “needing to have the revenue to fund the college, so the increase in tuition helps to generate revenue. And, you know, things are costing more.”

The college gets its funding from state and county governments, and from tuition and student fees.

The $5-per-credit-hour increase, which does not raise student fees, will cost full-time students taking 15 credits each semester $150 a year, according to Beardmore.

That will raise a full-time, in-county student’s tuition, excluding lab fees, from $4,640 to $4,790 per year.

The increase in the budget will help fund a new dental hygiene academic program and designate $5 million for faculty and staff raises. Much of the balance will cover rising operating costs, Beardmore explained.

Last year, the college raised tuition and fees by $2 per credit hour.
Beardmore said most students prefer having small, annual tuition increases rather than larger hikes every couple of years.

“We’ve heard from students many times that they prefer annual increases versus going … a couple years and then doing a bigger increase in a particular year,” Beardmore said. “Appropriately, it’s certainly more equitable.”

In addition, Beardmore said an increase in enrollment will generate almost $2.8 million in additional tuition revenue for the college.

AACC reported that 10,576 students are enrolled in classes this semester, 395 more than last spring, a 3.9% increase.