RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The amount paid by students at public colleges and universities in Virginia is increasing.

The State Council of Higher Education of Virginia says undergraduates at public four-year schools will see an average increase of about 5 percent, or $544, in tuition and fees in the 2014-15 academic year.

Virginia community college students will pay about $180 more per year, or an increase of 4.6 percent.

Officials say tuition and fees also had increased more than 4 percent in the previous academic year.

The council is the coordinating body for Virginia’s system of higher education.

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