MACON, Ga. — College tuition continues to increase in Georgia and nationwide.
According to a report from Georgetown University, between 1980 to 2020, the average tuition price for undergrad degrees increased by more than 150 percent.
Last year we reported one Central Georgia university saw their tuition go up for 2024.
The Board of Regents voted to keep tuition and fees almost flat at other schools except Middle Georgia State University.
Now, college tuition for all 26 public universities will increase for the 2024 to 2025 school year.
Students at Middle Georgia State University will have a 2.5% increase in tuition.
Students now pay $150 per college credit, and the final adjustment will increase tuition to $174 per college credit.
With room and board fees, students could pay up to $10,000 a year.
Although some students say they have to work harder, they still feel supported.
Stephen Schultheis is the Vice President of Enrollment Management at MGA.
"From a standpoint for financial aid, we are ready to help students," Schultheis said. "We definitely see students who have financial shortfalls. Our first strategy is to make sure they have the resources to gain access to as much financial aid as they can."
Schultheis says this can be stressful for many students, so there will be more help available.
"What we are seeing with these funds that are going to be coming in, it's there to support the students," Schultheis said. "We've been able to see and increase plans to be able to provide students support and that looks like additional academic advisors, additional academic support."
Myr'Lice' Dickens-Morse is a junior at Middle Georgia State University, studying media and communications.
She says her spring tuition came out to about $7,800 including room and board and her meal plan.
"It's a little bit of work, but they've been really great with helping me figure it out," Dickens-Morse said. "There's always that weight of having to figure out how to balance it all but the financial aid department has been good to me."
Dickens-Morse says her HOPE Scholarship and a Pell Grant have been pretty helpful over the past few years, and she has learned to lean on the different resources and mentors available.
"It's almost like yes tuition is rising but at the same time, Middle Georgia State is trying to do so much for its students that I know our tuition would be put to good use," Dickens-Morse said.
Isaac Holston is a junior and has been working at Publix for the past 5 years as a way to pay his way through college.
"It's kind of hard finding a balance between having to juggle classes and having to get enough sleep for work for Publix and everything like that but MGA's kind of flexible and will be adaptable towards that," Holston said.
Holston said he is looking forward to more resources available for students.
"I'm not too worried about the increase, as long as it's going toward things to help us," Holston said. "Honestly, we need more counselors who can actually help students with their mental health. These classes are getting pretty hard and rigorous, especially with the upper levels, so things like that would be really important going forward."
The tuition increase for Middle Georgia State University will start on Aug. 14, 2024.