Good news for Southwestern Illinois College students. The Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to keep the tuition rate at $113 per semester credit for the 2021 school year.
The college has not raised its tuition or $6 information technology fee or $3 student services fee since 2017. SWIC students pay only $122 tuition and fees per semester credit for classes, the lowest tuition rate in the state.
“The pandemic has caused financial hardships for so many people in our community,” said SWIC President Nick Mance. “The Board felt it would be in our students’ best interest to keep the tuition at an affordable, steady rate. We want to ensure a college education is accessible to all.”
SWIC students pay a fraction of state and private university costs. The average cost for a full-time student to attend SWIC for two years is $7,808. The average tuition for two years at a public university is $19,374 and a private university is $70,174, according to usnews.com.
“Students can save money by earning their associate degree at SWIC, then transferring to a university to complete their bachelor’s degree,” Mance said. “Or they can train for a variety of well-paying jobs in two years or less. Graduates can enter the workforce without massive student loan debt.”
Residents of Missouri and other surrounding states can also attend SWIC for only $122 per semester credit.
“We have a number of academic programs that community colleges in other states don’t have, so last year we opened the door to out-of-state students,” Mance said. “Out-of-state tuition was previously cost prohibitive; we’ve removed that barrier.”
Some of SWIC’s more popular programs include: Aviation Maintenance Technology, Commercial Maintenance Mechanics, Industrial Maintenance Mechanics, Massage Therapy and Welding Technology.
The college recently added new programs such as Brewing Operations and Fermentation Science, Cannabis Industry Operations, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Medical Laboratory Assistant, and Practical Nursing.
For more information, visit swic.edu/tuition-fees.