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Tennessee Board of Regents Approves Tuition and Fee Adjustments for Fall 2025 at Southwest Tennessee Community College

For more information, contact Diana Fedinec, Southwest Tennessee Community College Director of Public Relations and Media, at 901-333-4247 or dfedinec@southwest.tn.edu.

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.)  - The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) has approved modest tuition and fee adjustments for the 2025–2026 academic year across its 24 Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and 13 community colleges, which includes Southwest Tennessee Community College. The changes were approved during the Board’s quarterly meeting held on March 27.

Average combined tuition and mandatory fees will increase by 3.26% at TCATs and 3.25% at community colleges. These adjustments are intended to help offset rising operational costs due to inflation and fund a portion of a proposed salary increase for college employees, as recommended in Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s proposed state budget for Fiscal Year 2025–2026.

Beginning in Fall 2025, students at Southwest will see a 3% increase in combined tuition and mandatory fees, which equates to an additional $148 per year for full-time, in-state students enrolled in 15 credit hours per semester.

Key Tuition and Fee Changes for Southwest Include: 

  • In-State Tuition and Dual Enrollment Tuition: Increased from $185 to $191 per credit hour (+3.2%)
  • TN eCampus Fee: Increased from $74 to $76 per credit hour (+2.7%)
  • E-Rate (fully online, non-resident student fee): Increased from $88 to $96 per credit hour
  • International Education Fee: Reduced from $15 to $8 per semester

Despite the modest increases, Southwest remains one of the most affordable higher education options in the state. According to TBR, the cost of attending a Tennessee community college is less than half that of a public four-year university, excluding room and board.

Southwest understands the financial challenges that students and families face in today’s economic climate. The College is committed to keeping education affordable, even as operational costs rise.

Thanks to generous financial aid programs like Tennessee Promise (for recent high school graduates), Tennessee Reconnect (for adults returning to college), and a variety of state and federal grants, many Southwest students pay no out-of-pocket tuition or mandatory fees. As a result, the majority of Southwest graduates are able to complete their education without incurring student loan debt—a significant advantage in an era of rising national college costs.

In addition to low tuition, Southwest offers a wide array of student resources, academic support services, and scholarship opportunities, ensuring that every learner—regardless of financial background—has the tools, guidance, and encouragement they need to succeed.

For more information about financial aid at Southwest, or to apply for admission, visit www.southwest.tn.edu.