RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Commonwealth University is raising tuition and fees for in-state undergraduates by nearly 8 percent for the upcoming school year.

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The Board of Visitors voted Friday on the rates for 2011-12. State residents will pay $9,517 in tuition and mandatory fees, up 7.9 percent from $8,817. Out-of-state undergraduates will pay $22,949, 4.6 percent more than the current year. VCU noted the rates are significantly lower than tuition at Virginia's other major research universities.

Room and board will increase 5.1 percent to $6,952.

VCU also said the increased tuition rates reflect a $41 million decrease in federal and state funding for VCU for the upcoming fiscal year. President Michael Rao noted that state support per in-state student in the 2012 fiscal year dropped 42 percent from the previous fiscal year.