Alyssa GregoryThousands of Washington University students will be paying more for their education next year, as new construction and rising faculty salaries have put pressure on the university to raise its fees.
For undergraduates, tuition will jump 5.2 percent, from $26,900 this year to $28,300 for the 2003-2004 academic year. This increase comes on the heels of a 4.7 percent hike last year.
Other fees for undergraduates are also rising. The cost of room and board will go up to $9,856 for students who have a full meal plan and live in newer housing, a 6.6 percent increase over this year. The student activity fee will rise to $283 from $269 this year.
Students at the graduate level will also see tuition increases, ranging from a 4.0 percent increase for students in the Master of Fine Arts program to 6.6 percent for Arts and Sciences students.
In a letter to parents and students, Executive Vice Chancellor Edward Macias said students at similar universities will see comparable increases.
“The investment in our faculty and facilities has helped us attract a superb student body, and the measures of our quality and reputation continue to climb, all of which contribute to the value of a WU degree,” wrote Macias. “We have accomplished these strides while keeping our tuition and other fees in line with the universities with which we are most often compared.”
Vice Chancellor for Finance Barb Feiner said that the accelerating rate of tuition increases is due to growth in university expenses.
“While tuition alone does not cover the cost of an undergraduate education, it is the major source of income,” she said. “The university needs the increase in tuition to meet its budget needs. Compensation for outstanding faculty, health benefits, the costs of books and periodicals for the library, and property and liability insurance costs are among the university expenses growing faster than inflation.”
Feiner’s explanation did not convince sophomore Colleen Winter.
“[Tuition] is just a little high. Pretty much everything here is inflated,” she said. “It’s already hard enough for families to pay for the tuition now.”
For such families, financial aid is available, and almost 60 percent of WU undergraduates currently receive some type of financial assistance. These awards should rise somewhat for next year due to the tuition increases, said Bill Witbrodt, director of Student Financial Services.
This may help current students, but Jason Klein, a junior, worries about the effect the spike in tuition will have on prospective applicants
“I think it’s bad because I think people who want to come here will be turned away because of the high price,” he said.