Annual in-state tuition at the University of Wisconsin Colleges will increase $235 to $4,503 starting with the fall semester following action by the UW System Board of Regents today to increase tuition 5.5 percent at all system campuses.

The increase marks the end of a four-year tuition freeze for the UW Colleges, the UW System’s network of 13 freshman/sophomore campuses.

“Even with this increase, UW Colleges campuses still have the lowest tuition in the UW System and are a gateway to the UW System for thousands of students and families who might not otherwise be able to afford a high quality UW education,” said Ray Cross, chancellor of UW Colleges and UW-Extension.

Cross said the tuition hike will cover only a portion of the $250 million in budget cuts the UW System must make under the state budget passed last month. “We are also looking at every possible way to save money without reducing the quality of education,” Cross said.

The average annual residential tuition at four-year UW institutions will be $6,543, an increase of $381 from last year. In-state tuition at UW-Madison will rise to $8,592 and at UW-Milwaukee tuition will be $7,669. The figures do not include student fees, which vary by campus.

UW Colleges is the UW System’s network of 13 freshman/sophomore campuses and UW Colleges Online that offer an Associate of Arts and Sciences degree and prepare students of all ages and backgrounds for baccalaureate and professional programs. UW Colleges enrolled 14,378 students in 2010.