Thursday, October 1, 2026
Nassau Community College students will see a tuition increase this fall under a newly approved $185 million budget for the 2025-26 academic year.
County legislators voted unanimously Monday to adopt the spending plan, which raises annual in-state tuition for full-time students by $190 — the first hike since the 2021-22 school year. The increase brings the total yearly cost for students enrolled in 12 credits or more to $5,990.
School officials said the modest tuition bump was necessary to maintain services and build financial reserves following a period of budgetary challenges.
“Last year, the county executive gave us $2 million to avoid an increase, but that funding is not included this time,” Jerry Kornbluth, vice president of community and governmental relations at NCC said. “We’ve eliminated a $14 million deficit and raised our fund balance — now it’s time to strengthen our reserves.”
Kornbluth added that the tuition increase was structured to remain competitive.
“We were very intentional about keeping the cost under $6,000,” he said. “Suffolk’s is higher, and we wanted to stay below that. Ours went up 3.3 percent, compared to Suffolk’s 3.7 percent. Some colleges raised it 5 or 6 percent.”
The budget also includes a 10 percent increase in lab fees — capped at $100 — and higher service fees for specialized programs such as nursing and allied health, where rising operational costs were a key driver behind the adjustments.
Out-of-state students will also see a change, with per-semester tuition rising from $5,800 to $5,990.
Kornbluth said the increase will not significantly affect most students thanks to financial aid.
“Most of our students are on financial aid,” he said. “That $190 increase will largely be covered. We don’t want to put more on the backs of students.”
Although the $2 million support is absent in this year’s budget, Nassau’s overall contribution remains steady at more than $52.2 million. State aid is projected to at about $38 million.
Kornbluth emphasized that the college is now operating with more long-term stability.
“We run the college like a business now,” he said. “In the past, it was more like a mom-and-pop operation. But with a $185 million budget, you have to plan seriously — just like with a household budget. We need to prepare for the future, not react to a crisis.”
Not everyone agrees with the administration’s approach.
“Once again, the failing leadership of NCC is making decisions that are not in the best interest of students, faculty or taxpayers,” David Stern, president of the college’s faculty union, wrote in a statement. “Students will pay more but will get less instructional time, advisement, and services.”
Addressing criticism over the increase, Kornbluth said much of it comes from those outside the budget process.
“Some of the folks who were hired to teach are weighing in on how to run the college and manage finances,” he said. “They’re great in their academic areas, but that doesn’t mean they have the expertise to run a $185 million operation. We take student success seriously — and that includes making sure the college remains financially sound.”
The new tuition and fee structure will go into effect for the 2025-26 academic year beginning in the fall.
