AUSTIN, Texas — Tuition at Austin Community College will remain unchanged for the 13th consecutive year.

On Monday, ACC’s Board of Trustees approved the college’s operating budget for next fiscal year, passing a $583 million budget in a unanimous vote.

According to ACC, next year’s budget includes unchanged tuition and mandatory fees for the 13th year in a row, a 2 percent annual raise as well as one-time lump-sum payments for college employees, maintaining $23 an hour as the school’s minimum wage for workers, and $10.4 million invested in repair and renewal projects across all campuses.

“Our responsibility as a Board is to ensure the College remains financially strong today while positioning it for tomorrow,” said ACC Board of Trustees Chair Sean Hassan. “This balanced budget reflects ACC’s long-standing conservative approach to careful financial planning, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and our continued commitment to investing in the people and programs that make ACC such an important resource for Central Texas. I am proud of the work the Board continues to do to support the College and our students, while honoring our commitment to taxpayers and balancing the challenges of economic and funding shifts in our region and across the state.”

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The budget is funded through three primary revenue streams: state appropriations, property tax revenue and tuition and fees. According to ACC, the Board was able to keep tuition unchanged in spite of changes to finding from the state as well as a decrease in property tax revenue for the first time in 17 years.

“At a time when so many institutions are facing cuts and other hard realities, I’m proud of the work our leadership team has done through routine planning and ongoing operational efficiencies to keep ACC in a position where we can continue investing in our community,” said ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. “Our responsibility is to make decisions that meet today’s challenges while preparing students and our region for tomorrow. That’s how we build a college that’s ready for what’s next.”