Like universities across the country, AU is asking students and families to dig deeper into their wallets to pay increasing tuition costs.
Nationwide, private schools are raising their tuition totals by an average of $1,096 this fall semester, according to a press release from the College Board.
AU is no different. Both AU’s total tuition amount and its tuition augmentation rate increased this year — even more than the national average reported by the College Board.
AU’s tuition rose by $1,640 from its $32,816 tuition for the 2008-2009 academic year to $34,456 for full-time students this academic year, according to the AU Student Accounts Web site.
In addition, the rate at which AU increased its tuition for the academic year 2008-2009 was 5.9 percent, 1.5 percentage points higher than the College Board’s estimated national average rate for private universities of 4.4 percent, according to the AU Budget for fiscal years 2010 to 2011.
However, in addition to tuition increases, AU has also allotted more financial aid spending in its budget. From FY2008 to FY2009, AU increased its total financial aid amount by 5.4 percent, and for the FY2010 budget, AU expects to increase its total available financial aid again by 6.9 percent.
Claire Rychlewski, a freshman in the School of Communication, was offered the largest financial package at AU out of all of the schools where she applied, which she said motivated her to enroll.
“I think it was the best decision I could have made,” Rychlewski said. “It’s been great so far.”
Janis Young, Rychlewski’s mother who was at AU for Parents’ Weekend, was very happy about the financial award that AU offered her daughter because the nationwide tuition increases are indicating that other schools are struggling financially, she said.
“But if tuition is going up, you’ve got to wonder about that [at AU] too,” Young said. “I’m all for tuition not going up, but who wouldn’t be?”
Paige Carney was also at AU for Parents’ Weekend to visit her son, Todd Carney, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, and she recognized the difficulty the economy is posing for both institutions and families.
“If my costs go up, I’m sure the university’s costs are going up,” Paige Carney said. “Where do they cut [costs]? I don’t know. It’s a tough thing.”
Government aid has also been adjusted for the rising costs. Federal grant aid per undergraduate student increased an average of 3.4 percent per year during the decade from academic year 1998-1999 through academic year 2008-2009, according to the College Board.
Jim Carney, Todd’s father, thinks the government should continue “more of the same” with its tax breaks and deductions for universities.
“Rising costs are inevitable in education, as anything else,” Jim Carney said. “Private schools have it tougher because they don’t have the tax base to help pay ... so the costs to individuals are higher.”
However, Todd has enjoyed his first semester at AU so far because of the community service opportunities and other activities available for the students.
“[AU] has definitely been worth the investment,” Todd said.
You can reach this staff writer at mfowler@theeagleonline.com.
