Tuition at Columbus Technical College is going up beginning in the 2013 spring semester.

Students at the school will pay $85 per credit hour. As a result, tuition for a full, 15-hour course load will cost $1,275 next semester. That is an increase of $150.

It was announced Thursday that the state board that oversees the Technical College System of Georgia approved the system's request for a tuition increase of $10 per credit hour.

In addition, a new $50 institutional fee and a $50 fee for online courses will start in the fall. Students will pay, on average, a total of $223 in fees starting in the spring.

"The tuition and fee increases were necessary due to the rising cost of delivering our programs and further declines in state appropriations. Columbus Technical College's programs by their very nature are expensive to operate, necessitating highly qualified professionals for teaching and specialized instructional equipment for learning," President Bob Jones said in a news release. "The college must have a sufficient and reliable revenue stream to pay for these programs that are so important to our community and our citizens. Even with this increase, Columbus Technical College represents the best value in technical higher education in our region."

According to Columbus State University's website, its tuition for incoming and continuing undergraduates for the 2012-2013 school year is $161.74 per credit hour. A 15-hour course load is $2,426 a semester.