By Courtney Klaus, Editor-In-Chief
Newman this week announced a 3.5 percent tuition increase for the 2020-2021 academic year, alongside a 3 percent increase in meal plan prices and an overall decrease in residence hall prices.
An emailed statement from University President Norreen Carrocci, sent to all students, said the tuition increase would be “the lowest percentage [increase] for our university in at least the past half dozen years and below last year’s 3.875 percent.”
Vice President of Finance and Administration Jennifer Gantz said the university typically has to increase its tuition each year to cover increases in expenses such as utilities, health care and insurance.
“While our staff and faculty do a great job of controlling costs, there are some costs that are beyond our control,” Gantz said.
Tuition was increased by 3.875 percent for the 2019-2020 academic year. For 2018-2019 the university increased tuition by 4.5 percent and increased it by 6 percent for both of the two previous years.
President of the Student Government Association Emily Larkin served on the tuition-setting committee as a representative for the students.
She said she is mainly just happy to hear that Newman would be reducing the price of living on campus.
“Throughout my years in college, I’ve learned that tuition increases are inevitable due to ongoing increases in yearly expenses. I am glad to see that the parts that Newman has more flexibility in, residence hall costs, are being decreased,” Larkin said.
For the residence halls, the price of living in Beata Hall and the price of a single room in Carrocci Hall will decrease by $532, and the price of a room in Fugate Hall will decrease by $150. The price of double-occupancy rooms in Carrocci will be the only one that will increase and it will go up by $263. No prices for Merlini Hall, which has been closed for the past two years, were given.
Sophomore Ivan Balavage said he is not surprised to see that tuition is increasing and is glad to hear the cost of living on campus is lower, but he said he is not so sure the news is actually as good as it sounds.
“I guess I’m glad that the increase is less, and the residence hall costs are lower, but at the same time they’re increasing the meal plan costs and other costs… So they might be taking it off the tuition, but they might just be adding it somewhere else, so it might be conflicting,” Balavage said.
PHOTO: Courtesy Photo. kmuw.org
