Tuition will increase by $1,800 to $33,330 for the 2006-2007 academic year, according to an official statement from President Robert Brown’s office, released last week.
The increase, to be accompanied by a hike in the minimum rate for room and board to $10,480 from $10,080, would raise the total yearly cost to attend BU by 5.29 percent.
“The Board of Trustees has set the standard tuition rate for the 2006-2007 academic year at $33,330 and the basic room and board rate at $10,480,” the letter states, “for a total of $43,810. Overall, this represents a 5.29 percent increase.”
Boston University Executive Vice President Joseph Mercurio said the proposal to increasing tuition rates was made at the beginning of the month.
“It was proposed at the last meeting on March 8,” he said. “When the president announced it, it became official. The decision is usually made after the university makes the budget process. It’s usually sometime in March and early April.”
BU spokesman Colin Riley said half of the university’s budget, which is approximately $1.5 billion, comes from tuition funds.
“The university is tuition dependent,” he said. “Half of the cost of running the university comes from tuition revenue, and the cost of maintaining and operating has increased.”
Brown’s letter to parents emphasized specific challenges due to the increase in energy and health-care costs.
“As has been true for other organizations across all sectors of the economy, rising energy and health-care costs have created additional challenges for Boston University,” the letter states. “However, we continue in our efforts to decrease expenses in other areas without sacrificing the integrity of our academic programs.”
Riley said the rise in health-care costs is a factor when providing benefits to faculty members.
“Salaries and benefits are the largest component because we are a labor-intensive university,” he said. “If you look at the staff-to-student ratio, it is clear this is a labor-intensive university.”
College of Communication sophomore Kathleen Walsh said the increase is somewhat expected, considering the trend in rising costs of tuition and living across the country.
COM freshman Meghan Lavin said regardless of the reason for the tuition hike, the increase will greatly affect students financially.
“I think that students will definitely be angry when they hear about the increase,” she said. “And I bet more students will have to look for jobs.
“That’s a lot of money,” Lavin continued, “and books and everything else you need [are] also really expensive, so I think it will be pretty hard on students.”
Mercurio also recognized student concern regarding financial assistance.
“For students who qualify,” he said, “they can renew their aid and their aid can be increased.”
Riley said financial aid may cover some of the increased costs, however, it may not cover all of the additional costs.
Brown’s letter also noted that while the tuition increase is comparable to other universities, it still presents additional financial responsibly to parents.
Riley emphasized the increase in tuition at other universities, and said the percent of BU’s tuition increase is below the national average.
“The university kept our tuition percent increase below the national average,” he said, “not only below the national average for private universities, but also below public universities.”
According to Riley, while the tuition continues to rise, the university still makes an effort to keep it as low as possible. He said the tuition reflects the facilities provided by the university.
“You’re paying for a first-rate education, educational opportunities, outstanding facilities and services,” he said. “It’s the cost of higher education.”
Walsh said the tuition costs are another aspect of attending a private university.
“I don’t agree with paying a ton of money for college,” she said, “but I did sign on for a private education, and if I wanted to save money, I would have gone to a state school.”