Undergraduate tuition at Saint Louis University will increase to $19,670 for the 2001-02 school year-a 6.9 percent increase from this year’s $18,400.
Graduate students will also face increases in tuition rates. Graduate students will pay $630 per credit hour, or five percent more than last year’s $600. Law school students will pay $23,300 next year, an increase from $21,540. Tuition for medical students will increase from $31,430 to $33,300.
The increase in tuition will generate approximately $12 million, half of which will be used for financial aid. An estimated $56 million in aid will be available next year-an 11.8 percent increase in University-provided financial aid.
Other reasons for the tuition hike include salary increases for faculty and staff, increased utility costs, information technology upgrades and enhancements for academic programs, such as the pilot program at Parks College.
Provost Sandra Johnson said that the quality of education at SLU has increased, noting the decreased student-faculty ratio and improvements in academic programs.
“I think that we’re offering something that they’ll find valuable,” Johnson said. “I think we have something unique, and we have to deliver that value.”
Vice President of Business and Finance Rob Altholz said that the money from the tuition increase goes back into academic programs either directly or indirectly. Altholz pointed out that tuition only covers two-thirds of the cost of a SLU education. The remaining one-third is covered through contributions and earnings from the University’s endowment.
The 6.9 percent increase is slightly higher than the 6.8 percent increase in tuition announced in January last year. The increase follows a continuous trend, with an average 7.7 percent increase in tuition for the past decade. Since the 1991-92 academic school year, tuition has increased from $9,160 per year to $19,690 for 2001-02-an increase of 114 percent approximately, or a difference of $10,530.
The 2002 fiscal-year budget was approved in the same manner as last year, beginning with the President’s Coordinating Council, consisting of the Provost, Vice Presidents and the Arts and Sciences and Medical School deans. The council also included Student Government Association President Jay Perry, Faculty Senate President John Slosar and Staff Representative Sandra Pritt. The budget was then presented to University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J. and academic deans before final approval by the board of trustees.
“It’s a complex process, and this year was filled with extremely focused and detailed debate and discussion,” Perry said. “There’s a reason for everything, and it’s right for the students to ask for an explanation of those reasons. I’m awaiting a general response from the students.”
The tuition increase came as no big surprise to several SLU students.
“Any increase in tuition is going to hurt, but it’s not going to hurt that much,” said senior Monica Mohler. “You just expect it to happen.”
Parks College student Chris Siddens also said that the tuition increase would not affect him financially much.
“I do have a lot of loans to pay off, and this will add to them, but in the long run, I’ll probably be OK,” Siddens said.
Some information for this story was provided by Nick Weber.
