Tuesday, the University System of Georgia (USG) announced upcoming tuition increases for the state’s 35 public colleges and universities. Bainbridge College’s tuition will increase 2.5 percent starting in the fall 2012 semester, a jump that is the smallest in nine years.

According to statistics provided by the USG, the tuition cost for an in-state full-time student to attend Bainbridge College in the 2011-12 school year was $1,235 (or $82.34 per credit-hour). Starting in the fall 2012 semester, that cost will increase to $1,266 (or $84.40 per credit-hour). The increase amounts to an additional $31 per semester, or $1.06 per credit-hour.

The 2.5-percent increase is the lowest percentage increase since the 2002-03 school year.

“Our desire as a college is to keep tuition as low as possible and still maintain quality, especially in these tough economic times,” BC President Dr. Richard Carvajal said. “We are pleased that the Board of Regents only increased the tuition 2.5 percent, which is the lowest increase in nine years.”

The tuition increase was slightly higher at the USG’s largest institutions — The Georgia Institute of Technology (6 percent), The University of Georgia (5 percent) and Georgia State University (3.5 percent).

The USG’s Board of Regents approved the increases Tuesday, in part due to Gov. Nathan Deal recommending to full funding of the formula for the USG — an action that the General Assembly approved. By doing so, the regents were provided with a strong financial base upon which to set the tuition policy in the 2012-13 school year.

“The board and I are very sensitive to the present economic times facing our students and parents,” said USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby, in a statement. “We are thankful for the actions of the Governor and the General Assembly of fully funding the formula; it allows us to take a very conservative approach to current tuition.

“It also helps us maintain accessibility and affordability as we pursue increasing college completion rates across the state.”

The tuition increase in the 2011-12 school year was 3 percent at Bainbridge College, a jump of $36 per semester.

BC Communications Specialist Carol Heard assisted with this story.