It is almost inevitable and absolutely expected. Its effects on students run deep, yet its effects on
campus are not always obvious. It is typically touted as the smallest in years. Tuition increase is no stranger to North Central College.
Nationally, tuition increases have brought students to the point that they “owed about $1.5
trillion in student loans at the end of March 2019, more than two times what they owed a decade
earlier,” according to a Pew Research Center study published this August.
Another Pew Research Center study from 2018 found that 63% of U.S. adults consider the
affordability of college a “very big” national problem, up from 52% in 2016.
Rising costs contribute not only to increased student debt; they also have a negative impact on
campus culture and enrollment.
“Altogether, evidence points to the possibility that rising tuition levels, while associated with
decreases in overall enrollments, may disproportionally affect certain racial/ethnic groups,”
according to a study published in Research in Higher Education. “It stands to reason that long-term trends in tuition may affect institutions’ racial/ethnic composition of undergraduate
students.”
If the pattern of yearly tuition increase continues, the College could face decreases in enrollment,
lose diversity on campus and set up the students who do enroll for potential financial trouble.
On North Central’s campus, tuition increase has become an expected yearly e-mail. This spring,
NCClinked ran a story titled “Another year, another 3% tuition increase.” The article noted that
the infamously “smallest tuition increase in years,” which has been 3% for the last three years,
adds up to an overall 9% tuition increase for seniors who had spent the last four years at NCC.
Graduate Michelle Lackemacher, ’19, was one of these seniors. “I had to pay more out of pocket
from what was leftover (after student loans) because FAFSA didn’t accommodate for the tuition increase,” said Lackemacher. “It was definitely a struggle to try to work for more money and be in full-time school.”
The pressure to work more hours in order to afford school is increasingly common. “I do see
friends and people I know struggling to pay for their own tuition. A lot of my friends at NCC
work close to 20-30 hours a week and go to school full time,” said Lackemacher.
Liam Haeffele, ’20, said “The added expense has made it so that I have to budget and account for
the possibility that I may have to cover some of my tuition, and it has also resulted in ‘late’
payments from my dad as he takes a longer time to gather the money compared to last year
before the increase was implemented.”
Tuition increases can be especially devastating to large families. “Even with aid and
scholarships, this school is expensive for my family background,” said Haeffele, who has three
other siblings in college.
“I can definitely say that there are higher levels of financial stress (and)
anxiety in my life now compared to last year,” said Haeffele.
“Every percent counts,” he said, “even if it is only a 3% increase.”
Many students do not know where their tuition goes and the tuition increases are not always
followed by obvious changes to campus.
“The more you pay, the better stuff you’re supposed to get,” said Greg Williams, ’21, “but we
haven’t seen anything like that.”
Rebecca Garcia, ’21, noted that the landscaping on campus is well maintained, but she has not
noticed improvements to the insides of buildings.
“It’s a disappointment,” said Garcia. “It’s like, ‘Where is my money going?’”
“The cost of tuition allows the College to be competitive in retaining and attracting top faculty,”
said Maryellen Skerik, vice president for finance, “as well as investing in new programs, student
services and new/upgraded facilities.”
Skerik added that “the College’s expenses are largely driven by salaries and benefits, facility
costs, equipment costs and energy costs.”
However, a May 2018 NCClinked article, “The truth about college finances,” gives troubling
insight into the spending habits of the college.
“North Central’s average salary pay for full-time professors is approximately $27,000 below the
national private institution average,” reported Caleb Lundquist, while “(President) Hammond
makes $377,890, a few hundred dollars above average” pay for private college presidents.
“Each year the College makes adjustments to both merit scholarships and need-based awards in
correlation with any changes to tuition,” said Skerik. “We also work closely with families who
may be experiencing unexpected financial challenges in an effort to exhaust all possible forms of
aid.”
With another expected tuition increase around the corner, time will tell whether students see the
value in the prices they pay, and whether North Central College can convince them of it.
