RICHMOND —The State Board for Community Colleges established the 2016-2017 academic year in-state tuition and mandatory fees rate at $146.25 per credit hour at its regular May meeting.

According to a press release, beginning this fall, instate students will pay an additional $3.75 per credit hour — an increase of 2.6 percent — which means the cost of a typical three-hour class will increase by $11.25 and the cost of a full-time load of classes for the year will increase by $112.50.

“The new rate represents the smallest increase in community college tuition in more than a decade, and keeps community college tuition and mandatory fees at approximately one-third of the comparable costs at Virginia’s public four-year colleges and universities,” the release stated.

Virginia’s Community Colleges will use the tuition increase to pay their share of employee pay raises, rising fringe benefit costs and costs associated with using the state’s new accounting software.

“We are grateful for the investment the General Assembly and the governor made in our colleges in the new biennial budget,” said Idalia Fernandez, chair of the State Board for Community Colleges.