"California's community colleges could soften the projected blow to their budget by tripling tuition with no net impact on most students, says a new report by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office," Inside Higher Ed reports. "Released last Thursday, the report comes on the heels of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's May revision to the state budget, which proposes to slash nearly $700 million from the community colleges' 2009-10 budget. In-state residents currently pay $20 per course credit, making California the cheapest state in the nation in which to attend community college. A typical class is three or four credits, totaling $60 to $80. According to the report, state and federal financial aid would offset tuition increases of up to $60 per credit."