BROWNSVILLE — The Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees unanimously voted to lower the college’s tuition and fees during Thursday's meeting, making TSC the most affordable institution of higher education in the Rio Grande Valley.

This is the second time that TSC has decided to lower tuition in the past six years, approximately by 40 percent, according to a press release.

Over the last decade, college tuition has increased an average of three percent per year, according to College Board.

 “The board of trustees has been working diligently with administration to continue to make a college education affordable for the communities we serve by staying true to our strategic plan and developing a tuition and fee structure to become the best value in the Rio Grande Valley,” said TSC Board Chair, Adela G. Garza.

The meeting was also board Vice Chair Trey Mendez’s last as a trustee. At the meeting, The TSC Board of Trustees honored Mendez with a resolution, as he said farewell to fellow trustees, TSC students, faculty and staff.

During Mendez’s two terms as a member of the board, he was part of re-establishing TSC as an independent community college in 2013, earning separate accreditation in 2015, and supporting the reduction of the college’s tuition and fees.

“This latest tuition and fees decrease just shows a renewed commitment by our board to continue to make education at Texas Southmost College accessible and affordable,” said Mendez,”…It has been a pleasure to serve the students and the community in this capacity. It’s not a good bye, it’s a see you later.”

Texas Southmost College currently offers over 50 programs of study leading to an associate degree or certificate.