Tuition to rise 2.9 percent; total cost to rise 3.2 percent

The cost of an F&M education will rise for next academic year.

The Board of Trustees approved a 2.9 percent increase in tuition, a 5.3 percent increase in room, and a 3.2 percent increase in board for the 2010-2011 year. The result is a $52,010 price tag for tuition, a standard room, and a full board plan, a total increase of 3.28 percent from last year.

The rate of increase is lower from this year to next year than it was from last year to this year. For the 2009-2010 academic year, tuition was increased by 3.5 percent from the 2008-2009 academic year, while the total cost (including room and board) increased 3.9 percent.

“The trustees are focused on modest tuition growth for years to come,” said John Fry, president of the College. 

“Some may ask why any increase is necessary during an economic downturn and a period of zero inflation,” Fry wrote in a March 30 letter to parents. 

Fry went on to explain many of the College’s costs are not within its control. For example, the cost of room increased more than tuition increased due in part to the effect of Pennsylvania’s deregulation of electricity. The result will be a 40 percent increase in the College’s electric bill. 

The College is committed to providing sufficient financial aid to F&M students, according to Fry and Helen Bowman, vice president for finance and treasurer of the College. 

Bowman anticipates the Class of 2014 will receive the same level of financial aid as the Class of 2013, which marked a two million dollar increase over previous aid given. The financial aid a student receives as an incoming first-year will stay with the student and grow with inflation over their four years at F&M, according to Fry.

Additionally, there is an appeals process for upperclassmen. 

“We started reaching out to students to understand their financial situation and to facilitate a dialogue between families and the College,” Fry said. “The door to the financial aid office is always open.”

As a result, there is currently only one student on a leave of absence for financial reasons.

“[This is] lower than historic levels due to our more proactive process,” Bowman said.