RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia higher education officials are taking issue with a national report that cites the costs of attending college.

Virginia Community College System officials, along with the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia, cautioned that the nonprofit College Board uses a different method to calculate tuition and fees of the state’s two-year and four-year schools. The College Board used a weighted enrollment formula — versus the state’s use of a simple average. The College Board also provided a disclaimer saying data of individual states should be interpreted with caution.

VCCS has previously reported that students at state community colleges are paying an average of $2,404 in tuition and fees this school year, nearly 6 percent higher than last year. SCHEV has said that tuition and fees at four-year public universities average $7,083 for in-state students, up nearly 7 percent.

SCHEV says its numbers are an accurate representation of state tuition figures. And community college officials say Virginia’s two-year schools’ tuition remains below the national average.

According to the College Board, the average weighted price of public two-year schools rose slightly more than 4 percent to $2,361.

--Associated Press

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