The mandatory institutional fee will be increased to $200 starting in January, which is double what students have previously paid.

This decision was made by the Board of Regents for all of Georgia's research universities due to increased budget cuts. The H.O.P.E. scholarship program will not cover this tab.

"Ya know, everything's declining, including the H.O.P.E. fund," said Thressea Boyd, Assistant to the President for Communications at Valdosta State University. "So they're trying to protect the H.O.P.E. money."

A Valdosta State student, Ashleigh Kenny, says she's frustrated with the announcement. "It gets pricier and pricier every year, said Kenny. "And you wonder, ya know, how high can it go?!"

The fee hike will be in effect until 2012.

Students who need help paying this higher fee can absorb it into their student loans.