ESCANABA — Tuition rates will rise at Bay College for the coming academic year, though out-of-state students will pay significantly less in an effort to make the school more competitive.

The Bay College Board of Trustees earlier this week approved increasing tuition by $3 per contact hour to $119 for Delta County residents, by $5 per contact hour to $176 for Dickinson County residents and by $6 per contact hour to $205 for in-state residents. This was done to offset higher operating expenses.

But tuition for students from outside Michigan were reduced by $112 per contact hour to $250 to put Bay more in line with other Michigan community colleges.

“We wanted to be more competitive, so we have just as good a chance to get those residents as other Michigan community colleges,” Bay College Vice President of Finance Kevin Carlson said.

Other changes included capping student fees at 16 contact hours and adding a transcript fee.

Carlson also said the college will introduce an optional digital textbook fee. However, he noted this actually could save students money by providing less expensive digital textbooks instead of buying actual books for certain classes.

All but Vice-Chairwoman Joy Hopkins voted in favor of the new tuition rates and fees.

“I was holding for … zero increase,” Hopkins said of her no vote.

The board Wednesday approved a 2017-18 budget that lists $8,878,629 in operating revenues, $11,418,462 in non-operating revenues and $20,193,046 in operating expenses.

The college’s millage will remain at 3.5 mills, or $3.50 per $1,000 of taxable property value.

The budget does call for a 2 percent pay increase for staff and adjunct, Carlson said.