By Matt Wesser
This week Community College of Philadelphia welcomes students back for the Fall 2026 semester. The 2025-2026 academic year marked the 60th anniversary for CCP.
Since its inception in 1965, CCP has served as a gateway to Philadelphians who aspire to pursue a higher education. The 60th anniversary of CCP does not just celebrate the success of an educational institution but represents a longstanding space for community, growth, and aspirations becoming realities.
Dr. Alycia Marshall, has become CCP’s seventh President after a stint as interim beginning in April 2025, after The Community College of Philadelphia’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted last October. She is the first African-American woman to be president of the college.
The Fall 2026 semester will also come with additional costs to students. For the first time in 9 years, the CCP Board of Trustees approved plans to increase the price per credit from $159 to $174, a $15 increase, according to a CCP press release.
“After nine years without a tuition increase, and in a climate of rising costs and flat public investment, this step ensures that Community College of Philadelphia can continue fulfilling its mission of providing high-quality, accessible education to Philadelphia residents for years to come,” Dr. Marshall said in the press release.
CCP points to several factors for the increase. The school cites rising operating costs, in part due to inflation, the Collective Bargaining Agreement reached March 2025, and increased enrollment as basis for the increase in tuition.
“The Faculty and Staff Federation of Community College of Philadelphia continues to be disappointed by the increase in tuition, which is a burden for the vast majority of students. Even students who receive financial aid are hurt by the tuition increase because it means they have less money to pay their other bills,” said Marissa Johnson Valenzuela, Secretary of the Faculty and Staff Federation of Community College of Philadelphia.
Inflation has been another contributing factor to the tuition hikes, as city and state funding have remained the same despite a growth in operating costs.
CCP has experienced an increased number of students enrolled at the school. From the 2022-2023 academic year to 2024-2025, CCP has seen an 8 percent increase with the total number of students enrolled, exceeding 21,000, according to the press release.
Enrollment is a positive shift but also comes with growing pains. The increase in students conflates with an increased demand for faculty like professors, student advisors, and other staff that ensure the school functions properly.
