BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- Kendrea Burell says cosmetology is her passion. She's in her second semester at Lawson State Community College.

"My parents pay my tuition out of their pockets, and it's very hard with one of my parents not working right now and me not having a stable job," Kendrea says.

And it's about to get a lot harder. Tuition at Lawson State will increase by $15 dollars per credit hour starting in the fall. That's the result of a vote by the Alabama State Board of Education.

The average full-time student will have to pay more than $200 dollars extra each semester.

Ariel Ernest goes to school with Kendrea. "Many people won't be able to come to school and do what they really love to do, so I don't think it's fair to some folks."

But it's not just students at Lawson State that will be paying more for classes. Community colleges across the U.S. will have to function without federal stimulus dollars starting next year. Lawson State will lose about $1 million dollars.

Administration at Lawson State says the extra money they get from students will go toward basic operation costs of the school.

"I'm sure that we can work with our students," Vice President Sharon Crews says. "We'll work hard trying to find additional dollars from other places to help the students complete their educations."

Kendrea will have to move her graduation back a few semesters.

"I'll probably do two classes or one class per semester," she says, "...just in order to finish."