NATCHEZ — The cost of a college education in Mississippi is about to go up.

On Tuesday the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning voted to raise tuition at Mississippi’s public universities.

The rate increases will impact both residential and non-residential students.

Alcorn State University’s rates will go up 4 percent for residential students and 9 percent for non-residential students.

That translates to an increase from $4,280 to $4,498 for residential students and from $9,809 to $10,692 for non-residential students per year.

Earlier in the week some students leaving a mid-day class at Alcorn’s Natchez campus said they had not even heard of the increase yet.

Amanda Knight, a nursing student, said news of the increase came as a surprise.

“It’s frustrating,” she said. “Especially when you don’t have time to prepare for it.”

Knight said she receives no financial aid and the new increase will come directly from her own pocket.

While the news of rate increase won’t be good news for any students it could have been worse.

Alcorn’s President George Ross said the school asked for a rate increase of 13 percent for all students.

“It’s not something we desired,” he said. “We had very few alternatives.”

Ross said the increases will go to fund the school’s budget to offset increases in energy and utilities and increase the school’s financial aid budget.

Not only is the school feeling pressure from increased energy costs but their funding from the state for the upcoming year was zero Ross said.

And that shortcoming in state funding is not expected to improve much.

Ross said over the next six years the school is scheduled to lose an additional $2.2 million in state funding.

Ross said had the 13 percent increase passed the school would have had money for new staff, raises and improvements at the campus.

IHL’s director of media relations Annie Mitchell said the board rejected the 13 percent increase in an effort to keep education affordable for as many students as possible.

And while Alcorn and its students will have to cope with new budgetary constrains Ross said he is confident in the school’s ultimate success.

“We’re going to continue to do great things at Alcorn,” he said.