Amends existing law to increase the maximum tuition for community colleges.

This legislation increases the annual tuition cap and limits annual tuition increases at Idaho’s community colleges. The Legislature has not raised the community college tuition cap since 2008. As a result, artificially low tuition rates have had a distorting effect on the higher education marketplace. Demand for community college education has never been greater. Yet colleges are artificially constrained in their ability to meet that demand. They cannot pay faculty competitive salaries, especially in the fields most sought after by prospective students. They cannot acquire the necessary equipment to help students compete in high technology fields or resources to provide and maintain facilities to meet soaring demand. This bill updates the community college tuition cap to meet the realities of 2026. It raises the cap to $3,250 while continuing to limit annual tuition increases to no more than 10%. This will produce modest revenue increases for the colleges while minimizing the impact on students and their families. This legislation balances the pressing needs of community colleges with the Legislature’s desire to keep tuition rates reasonable.