University sees slight increase in tuition

Boston University’s tuition rate will rise 3.85 percent for the 2011-12 academic year, the university announced on Thursday.

Next year’s standard tuition is set at $40,884, which is $1,570 more than the 2010-11 school year’s $39,314 cost.

BU President Robert Brown said in an email to the BU community on Thursday that the percentage increase is among the lowest in the past 40 years.

In the email, Brown cited improvement of student services and growth of faculty as reasons for the hike.

“Along with modest salary increases for faculty and staff, the budget includes some unavoidable cost increases, such as for employee health care, which is expected to rise by more than 13 percent next year,” Brown wrote.

Brown also acknowledged the increase may be tough for some.

“We understand that this tuition increase is a burden for many families and we continue to focus on maintaining access to Boston University for students with varying economic means,” he wrote. “Our total undergraduate aid budget for the coming year is projected to be $210 million, up $15 million from one year ago, an increase of 7.7 percent.”

But Brown wrote in the email that BU “remains committed to providing high quality education and a well-rounded academic experience” for students.

While the Union hasn’t adopted an official position on the proposed tuition rate for next year, president Arthur Emma, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, said he believes tuition increases are “a problem for all universities right now.”

“I absolutely disagree with the raise,” Emma said. “We pay an enormous amount and already have one of the highest [tuitions] in the country. “If it consistently goes up $1,500 a year, then we’re going to be going for over $60,000 in no time, which is absolutely absurd.”

“We are a tuition based university and maybe there are ways students don’t know about that the university could cut cost,” he added.