COEUR d'ALENE - Rising enrollment and less state funding for next year could mean a tuition hike for community college students throughout Idaho. Trustees for the College of Western Idaho already approved an 8.4 percent increase Tuesday, increasing the price for each credit hour from $119 to $129.

COEUR d'ALENE - Rising enrollment and less state funding for next year could mean a tuition hike for community college students throughout Idaho.

Trustees for the College of Western Idaho already approved an 8.4 percent increase Tuesday, increasing the price for each credit hour from $119 to $129.

At the College of Southern Idaho, they have begun gathering information to help make a decision about tuition prices.

College administrators at North Idaho College are still working on the 2011 budget, which they plan to present to trustees at their April 21 board meeting.

"As always, property tax revenue and tuition and fees must be discussed as ways to offset the cut in state general funds," said John Martin, NIC's vice president for community relations.

They continue to see evidence that NIC enrollment is rising.

"While it is very early to project numbers for the fall, the most recent count of new applications was running about 25 percent ahead of last year's number at a comparable time," Martin said.

The Senate in Boise on Monday passed a $25 million budget for all three community colleges, a reduction of 12.6 percent. It's still awaiting passage in the House.

The state general funds NIC receives will be about $9.3 million in 2011, down from $11.7 million out of a total budget of $40.1 million in 2009.

Martin said he's unsure what the amount of next year's total budget will be, but it will most likely be less than this year's budget of $38.8 million.

"That is a very dramatic drop in state support in a relatively short period of time," Martin said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.