ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) _ Annual tuition and mandatory fees for in-state students at Virginia Tech are rising by 3.9 percent next academic year. Meeting in Arlington on Thursday, Tech’s Board of Visitors approved the increase, which translates to an annual cost of $10,923. That’s up from $10,509 from the just-completed academic year. Room and board fees will also rise. Tech’s Board of Visitors considered three tuition and fee options, and decided to go with the mid-range increase. Even so, President Charles Steger said his administration will have to cut or restructure the university’s $1 billion-plus operating budget to reflect the 3.9 percent increase. Public higher education officials have been pressed by Gov. Bob McDonnell to hold down in-state tuition increases for the 2012-13 academic year.
