Lone Star College System board approves no tuition increase in FY 2027 budget

HOUSTON, TX -- The Lone Star College System Board of Trustees approved a balanced budget of $577.5 million for fiscal year 2027 at the Aug. 6 board meeting.

“We’re very thankful that this budget is built on strong financial foundations,” said Kristy Vienne, Ed.D., LSCS vice chancellor, Finance and Administration. “This balanced budget maintains our operational needs while positioning the system to invest in initiatives that will advance student success, workforce development, employee excellence and long-term institutional resilience.”

LSCS anticipates the projected revenue will fully support planned operational expenditures with no funding coming from cash reserves. Anticipated revenue includes $118 million in state allocations, $162 million in student revenues, $263 million from local taxes and $34.5 million from miscellaneous activities.

Compensation plans in the budget include:

• A 2% across-the-board increase for full-time instructional and non-instructional employees hired by March 31.
• A 2% across-the-board increase for part-time hourly, non-instructional employees, excluding student assistants and college work-study participants.
• A 2% per contact hour adjunct across-the-board increase.

Earlier this year, the board adopted an in-district tuition rate of $111 per credit hour for 2026-2027, reflecting no increase since 2024-2025.

“It’s cheaper to get my core classes out of the way here than it would be to immediately go to a university, which is very expensive,” said David Muñoz, an LSC-North Harris student who plans to pursue a career in aerospace engineering and own his own business one day. “The education here is also the same high-quality education you would get there. It’s a no-brainer for me.”

Budgeted tax revenues for FY 2027 are estimated based on a tax rate of $0.1058 per $100 taxable value and an 8% homestead exemption. While certified property values have not been received, the board is expected to vote on a property tax rate in early October.

“We always want to make sure that we’re operating under the best business principles,” Vienne said. “We really have taken conservative estimates on both revenue and expenses. We would rather overperform and have extra left over at the end. In addition to financial sustainability, we want to express responsible stewardship and strategic investment with every dollar that you see presented in the budget.”

Learn more about the budget at LoneStar.edu.