PROVIDENCE — Saying they were frustrated but had little choice, the Board of Governors for Higher Education last night approved unexpected tuition and fee hikes for the spring semester at the three public colleges as well as a 10-percent increase for the coming academic year, 2009-2010.

The colleges are facing a $4.5-million deficit caused by unanticipated budget cuts from the state this summer. Higher Education Commissioner Jack Warner said it was unlikely lawmakers will be able to give the colleges the additional money, given the state’s bleak financial situation. The state is scrambling to plug an estimated $33-million hole caused by overspending during the last fiscal year and lagging revenues.

If more state money is not appropriated for higher education, it must come from increased tuition and fees, Warner said. That means students at the University of Rhode Island will pay $250 more next semester, a 6.7-percent increase over this semester. Students at Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island will pay $200 more, an 8.2-percent and 14.3-percent increase, respectively.

Such midyear increases are rare, Warner said, and follow a previous round of last-minute tuition and fees increases at RIC and CCRI last summer.

“We know that it is the underprivileged students who are hurt the most by this,” said Frank Caprio, chairman of the board. “It is our job here on the board to make higher education more accessible and affordable for Rhode Islanders, and this does not make college more accessible or more affordable.”

About a dozen college students attended the meeting, held at RIC’s Student Union. Campus security was requested for the meeting, but it soon became clear their presence was not needed. The students declined an opportunity to speak during open forum and instead quietly watched the proceeding from the sidelines.

“I just feel helpless, like there is nothing we can really do,” said RIC sophomore Christyn Brown, 20, after the meeting. “I understand that they felt badly about what they had to do, so I am not angry at the board. But this means future students won’t be able to afford higher education.”

Christopher E. Buonanno, RIC’s student government president, said students are starting to talk about rallying at the State House to draw attention to the issue.

“We need to try to get more money from the state, because ultimately our leaders need to understand they can’t keep drawing off one source — the students,” Buonanno said. “People are not going to be able to come to college and we will end up with an under-educated state. And that’s not good for anyone.”

The colleges had braced for $17.8 million in cuts this year and had frozen positions, cut programs and increased class size accordingly. Increases in enrollment in recent years have helped to offset some of the impact of the budget cuts. More than 30,000 students attend the three institutions.

But this summer, the state cut another $12 million the colleges had been counting on, decreasing state aid to about $150 million for the three schools and the Office of Higher Education, Warner said. The total higher education budget this year is about $850 million — most of which comes from tuition and fees.

As bad as finances are this year, next year’s budget is already looking worse, warned higher education officials.

Last night, the board approved tuition and fee hikes of roughly 10 percent at the three state colleges for 2009-2010. But it is possible that costs will soar well above that level, to increases of 20 percent or higher if further cuts are made to higher education, Warner said.

The “best-case scenario” lays out what the Office of Higher Education estimates is needed to maintain quality, Warner said.

Under that plan, the state would provide $169.6 million to operate the schools. The entire higher education budget would be $864.1 million, most of which would come from tuition and fees.

Based on yesterday’s vote, tuition and fees for the next academic year would increase at URI by 9.8 percent for in-state students, an $850 increase, totaling $9,528 for the year. Room and board would go up by 5.6 percent, to $10,638. Out-of-state tuition and fees would go up 5 percent, to $26,026, not including room and board.

At RIC, in-state tuition and fees would increase by 9.5 percent, or $547, to $6,318. Average room and board would rise 6.7 percent, to $9,054. Out-of-state tuition and fees would increase 6.3 percent, or $916, to $15,398.

At CCRI, in-state tuition and fees would increase 9.3 percent, or $286, to $3,376.

But Governor Carcieri has directed state departments to submit budgets that reduce expenses by 8 percent for 2009-2010, and Carcieri’s spending plan is the one that has prevailed for the colleges for the past three years.

Under the “worst-case scenario” — the 8-percent cut — colleges would receive $147.1 million in state aid next year, and tuition and fees would increase by 20 to 25 percent. URI might have to close an academic college to absorb the decrease in state support, officials said.

The last time state support was lower than $150 million was about a decade ago, when fewer students attended state schools and when the cost of electricity, gas, fuel, salaries, health care and food were significantly lower, Warner said.

“Imagine going 10 years backwards in your funding, and still having to operate these institutions today,” Warner said. “That’s what we are up against.”

jjordan@projo.com