Tuition will increase by 3 percent for the next academic year, according to an April email by President Troy Hammond.
In the “smallest percentage tuition increase in decades,” full-time students will see tuition increase to $37,569 with room and board increasing to $10,650.
However, there is a silver lining to this. The increase in room and board is partly due to “an additional $150 of ‘bonus bucks’ for students who are participants in the College’s full meal plan,” said Hammond.
The other, most noticeable benefit in students’ day-to-day experience under the new rate is no more per use charge for the laundry spaces. The cost of laundry services is now included in tuition.
As a commuter, Blair Gray (’18) is one student unaffected by these changes.
“I can’t really say anything about bonus bucks because I bring my food from home,” Gray said.
The continued increase in tuition over time also raises a few more questions. “North Central admits more students in, yet they keep charging more,” Anita Wolff (’18) said. “They increase tuition for everybody, but scholarships stay the same.”
Wolff and others look for changes in scholarships to coincide with the rise in tuition.
“We will continue investing in new academic programs such as neuroscience and environmental studies,” said Hammond. “We are investing in critical academic support services such as the Center for Student Success, with additional academic advisors and other resources focused on our students’ academic achievement.”
Here are how a few other students reacted to the tuition news.
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- “Previous years, from what I remember, it would come out to however much, (and) I thought ‘Oh my God;’ but seeing it broken down for next year made it a lot easier to understand. And I’m a finance major, so I can understand why it keeps increasing.” – Aaron Williams ’17
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- “We’re admitting more students in, yet they keep charging more and more. They increase tuition for everybody, but the scholarships stay the same.” – Anita Wolff ’18, right.
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- “I expect tuition to increase every year, so it’s a bonus that we get more bonus bucks and laundry is covered.” – Nicholas “Cubbie” Osterloo ’19
Photos by Jason Snider
