Washington

Tuition and fees for the current academic year jumped by 11.4 percent at public community colleges, largely because of state budget cuts, according to a survey to be released later this week by the American Association of Community Colleges.

In more than half of the states, community-college tuition rose by more than 10 percent. California and Virginia colleges had the highest percentage increases, at 60 percent and 42 percent, respectively. Maine and West Virginia did not raise tuition at all, although some two-year colleges in those states increased fees slightly.

The association conducted the survey because of concerns that "the tremendous cuts in state revenues were big enough that they are beginning to affect our core values, namely access," said George R. Boggs, the group's president.

Still, the survey found, average tuition at public two-year colleges -- $1,560 annually for full-time students -- remains the lowest of any other sector in higher education. The 11.4-percent increase amounts to a rise of roughly $80 per semester.

The survey also found that community colleges received 61.3 percent of their revenues last year from state and local governments. That's up from 56 percent in the 1998-99 academic year, according to a 2001 survey by the association.