Students who have just become comfortable with the recent raise in BYU’s tuition should brace themselves for yet another change.

BYU tuition rates will be raised by three percent for the 2010-2011 academic year.

This change will bring the undergraduate rate per semester from $2,145 to $2,210, a $65 increase. The non-LDS undergraduate student tuition will increase by $130, making their total $4,420, according to a news release.

Tuition for graduate students will also raise three percent.

“In general, the increase in tuition is due to the rising educational costs needed to provide our students with a quality education,” said Carri Jenkins, BYU spokeswoman.

BYU has raised tuition by between three and seven percent almost annually since the 1980s. A complete list of annual tuition increases from 1984 to 2009 can be found at yfacts.byu.edu.

Although some students are feeling financially stressed with the tuition raise, especially with the current economy, BYU tuition is relatively cheap compared to other private universities.

“An important reason why BYU’s tuition is considerably less than at many other universities is because of the support given by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Jenkins said.

Undergraduate students at George Washington University will pay $41,610 for the 2009-2010 academic year, according to the university’s Web site. BYU students pay only a small fraction of that cost.

“BYU is comparatively one of the best educations for the price we pay,” said Jennifer Pace, a senior from Newbury Park, Calif. “We shouldn’t complain about the small rise in tuition costs.

We should remember to be grateful for the tithe payers that facilitate many students to leave this university with little or no debt, and certainly not with the distress of paying off $40,000 per semester hanging over our heads.”

George Washington University also offers a fixed tuition plan, a plan that allows full-time students to pay the same tuition rate they originally started with for 10 consecutive semesters.

“BYU does not offer a fixed tuition rate, which allows the university to increase its rate based on what is needed for the coming year,” Jenkins said.

Pace suggested BYU students show appreciation for the positive things BYU does offer to its students.

“We should keep in mind that the price does not reflect the value of our education or the university, and treat our studies just as seriously as if we were paying $40,000 for it,” Pace said.