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TUITION CUT
IN BOLD MOVE (Reprinted from The NCWC Bulletin, January 11, 1996) January 11,1996, Rocky Mount, NC In a move labeled entrepreneurial, North Carolina Wesleyan College President John White announced a bold tuition reduction of 23 percent. "For too long, the current pricing structure in higher education has increased tuition to fund institutional financial aid at the expense of the majority of students. Announcing the tuition cuts and an end to routine tuition increases just a week before his inauguration at the college, the new president demonstrated his commitment to quality education at an affordable cost.
These costs are then passed on to students with annual tuition increases. Wesleyan will break this escalating cycle of increasing tuition so what the student pays reflects the cost of education. "Wesleyan has analyzed the cost cycle and concluded that by stopping the escalating tuition, not only can we provide the advantages of quality education to our students, but we can also do it at a savings to them," continued White. Tuition discounting is creating a complicated, if not unfair, system of allocating financial aid support. "In the current environment, parents and students shop for the best deal in financial aid; much like buying a car, almost no one pays the official sticker price," said White. "Wesleyan has decided to lower its overall tuition, offering the reduced price to all students." This new tuition structure will make Wesleyan more affordable to all students, particularly those who often are not eligible for need-based aid. We pledge to all of our students that the final total cost of tuition, room, board, and fees will be at or less than what they actually paid out-of-pocket this past academic year," continued White. The college will still help secure grants, loans, and college work study opportunities for those students who have financial need. These sweeping changes will permit the college to offer the new special merit award for truly outstanding student academic performance. This bold move on the part of Wesleyan won't adversely affect the colleges operating budget. There are adequate revenues to operate the College, pay faculty and staff salaries, and offer a variety of existing and new programs. Along with the sweeping cost reduction, the new president is intent on moving forward with his dynamic agenda to increase the quality of academic offerings and co-curricular programs at the College. Wesleyan recently completed a $5 million performing arts center, is implementing significant curricular and technological innovations, and is making plans for a new student recreation facility. "We believe this dramatic move for Wesleyan underscores the Colleges commitment to face the tough issues in higher education today. Colleges that are able to adjust quickly to new economic environments, those that offer competitive programs, those that are entrepreneurial, and those willing to work smarter, are those that will thrive in the future," White stated. Before And After The CutTotal tuition, fees, room and board at NC Wesleyan:
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Last modified by webmaster@ncwc.edu
on 12/16/05 |
In
letters to Wesleyan parents , Dr. White said the College's leadership took
this dramatic move to correct the complicated pricing structure. Colleges
across the country have been raising tuition, in part, to fund financial
aid, causing financial hardship for parents and students. This money,
often referred to as "unfunded aid," is accounting for an
increasingly larger percentage of total budgets at colleges.