Students enrolled in Georgia's public colleges and universities face a tuition hike ranging from $32 to $270 per semester, starting this  fall.

The system-wide tuition hike was part of a budget plan approved yesterday by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, which has cut $1.4 billion state-wide over the last five years, according to an article by the Associated Press.

For 27 schools in the University System of Georgia, students face a 2.5 percent tuition increase, or about $32 to $83 more per semester.

For the state's larger research universities - Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, Georgia State, and Georgia Regents University in Augusta - students face even bigger increases.

Georgia Tech in-state students will pay 7 percent, or $270, more per semester.

UGA students will pay 5 percent more, or $191.

GSU and Georgia Regents students will pay 3.5 percent more, or $131.

The Board of Regents also approved increased fees at 16 schools for fees ranging from recreation and athletic fees to health fees.

University system officials say Georgia's average tuition cost is still below those in neighboring states such as Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina.