WBAL.com

Governor O’Malley says he will keep in-state tuition costs frozen for a fourth straight year because of federal stimulus money.

O’Malley had included the tuition freeze in his January budget proposal, but he said Monday afternoon he had been worried that declines in state revenue could force him to re-evaluate that decision. Maryland received more than $1 billion for state education priorities through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The governor also announced Monday he will also use the federal money to increase aid for community colleges.

His original budget would have maintained funding for the state’s community colleges, but he now wants to increase state aid by 5 percent to community colleges over the next two years.