Tuition increase moves in right direction

By David Altschuler

It will cost $29,950 to attend Yale next year, an increase of $1,070, President Richard Levin announced on Wed., Feb. 26th. While this is still a hefty rise, it is only a 3.7 percent jump over this year's costs, making it as the smallest percentage hike since the 1968-69 school year.

The 3.7 percent overall increase consists of a four percent boost in actual tuition costs and a 2.5 percent increase in room and board costs. Yale administrators contend that the minimal change in room and board fees is a move to keep students on campus. "We want to make sure the cost of living in colleges is not driving students off-campus," Lloyd Suttle, Associate Provost, said.

According to University officials, another driving force behind the small size of the tuition hike is the pressure put on private universities in the public spotlight. "A lot of public attention--including Congress's--has been put on the cost of private education," Suttle said. "We'll have to look for other ways to accomplish a balanced budget."

Suttle said that for prestigious universities like Yale, the demand is so great that a rise in tuition is not a threat to enrollment. "We have five times as much demand [as places available for applicants]...Yale could price itself out of the market; however a small group of schools that are selective [including Yale] don't want to be standing out there a lot farther away," he said. For this reason, Yale's $29,950 price closely matches that of other highly selective universities.

"When you compare the cost of education with general inflation, you ignore that inflation measures the same market basket. Year after year, we're enhancing the quality of education in so many ways," Suttle said. He pointed to Yale's investment in technology and infrastructure as examples of Yale improving what it offers its students.

Moreover, Yale officials insist that the increases won't hurt families who can't afford its hefty price tag. "At Ivy League schools, because we're the last with need-based aid, the pressure isn't shifted to needy students," Gary Sax, director of budget and planning, said. While Sax and Suttle conceded that the slowdown in tuition increases will force the University to look elsewhere to balance
its budget, they claimed that cost control measures were in place and that Yale's financial position is, and will continue to be, secure.

Despite these assurances, it is clear that, to many students, an increase in tuition is simply an increase in an already staggering amount of money. "The reality of the increase hasn't really hit me. Tuition is already so high that any increase is dwarfed in comparison to the full amount," Dan Larlham, SM '00, said.

Back to News...