Spring-area students heading to LSC–North Harris this fall will pay the same $111 per credit hour they've paid since the 2024-2025 academic year after the Lone Star College System Board of Trustees approved a $577.5 million balanced budget for fiscal year 2027 on Thursday, Aug. 6.

The vote locks in a tuition freeze for the third consecutive year and delivers a 2% raise to all full-time and part-time employees ahead of the fall semester, which begins Monday, Aug. 24.

"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. "The education here is also the same high-quality education you would get there. It's a no-brainer for me."

Where the money comes from

According to Lone Star College's announcement, projected revenue breaks down as $118 million in state allocations, $162 million in student revenues, $263 million from local taxes and $34.5 million from miscellaneous activities. The system expects revenue to fully cover planned expenditures with no draw on cash reserves.

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Kristy Vienne said the budget relies on conservative revenue and expense estimates, adding that the system would rather overperform and have money left over than fall short.

Employee raises across the board

The budget funds a 2% across-the-board raise for full-time instructional and non-instructional employees hired by March 31, 2026. Part-time hourly workers, excluding student assistants and work-study participants, get the same 2% bump. Adjunct faculty receive a 2% per-contact-hour increase.

In FY 2026, the system invested roughly $9 million in employee raises plus an additional $1.5 million in December 2025 for its lowest-paid workers.

Tax rate and what's next

The budget assumes a proposed property tax rate of $0.1058 per $100 of taxable value with an 8% homestead exemption. That would be a slight drop from the current $0.1060 rate the board set in October 2025. Certified property values have not yet been received.

LSCS's rate remains well below the statewide average of $0.1606 among Texas community college districts.

Chancellor Mario K. Castillo's system enrolled a record 97,221 students in spring 2026, a 6.4% jump from the prior spring. The board is expected to vote on the final property tax rate in early October.