Austin Community College District enrollment grew just over two percent to 45,100 this semester, with the addition of 1,000 students compared with last fall.

The biggest growth occurred in Elgin ISD and Hays CISD, where enrollment increased 58 percent and 39 percent, respectively. A total of 1,833 students from those areas now are taking advantage of low, in-district tuition rates as a result of last fall’s successful annexation elections.

“We are thrilled to see growth in these important communities,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC president/CEO. “There is a clear need for increased access to higher education, and ACC is committed to serving students throughout the region.”

While enrollment slightly increased this fall, the college also experienced a nine percent drop in the number of full-time students.

Dr. Kathleen Christensen, vice president of student support and success systems, attributes the decrease in full-time enrollment to students shouldering more of the costs of education as the state reduces financial aid funding and slashes its contribution to college budgets. As a result of the decreased state funding, ACC had to raise fall tuition by $5 per credit hour.

“It’s a tough economic climate for students trying to earn a college degree,” says Dr. Christensen. “Still, ACC remains the lowest-cost provider of higher education in Central Texas, and we offer tuition payment plans and other resources to make college more feasible.”

This fall, in-district students pay $52 per credit hour in tuition, or $204 for a typical three-credit class with fees. Out-of-district residents pay $52 per hour in tuition plus a $142 per hour out-of-district fee, or a total of $630 for a three-credit class with fees.

In-district tuition applies to students who reside within ACC’s taxing district, which includes the city of Austin as well as the Austin, Leander, Manor, Del Valle, Round Rock, Elgin, and Hays school districts. Texas residents who live outside the taxing district pay the out-of-district rate.