Tuition Increased for Next Academic Year

Monica Rajan, Tower Staff
January 14, 2012
Filed under News

The tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year at the Catholic University of America will increase by three percent. The cost for undergraduate tuition will be now $36,320 for the upcoming academic year, $1060 more than the present fee.

“In order to get a degree in English, do I really need to pay $50,000-plus a year to analyze some novels and take the odd theology class? I doubt it, but as a student, I don’t feel right going around accusing the administration of mismanaged money,” said Sophomore English major Wesley Cocozello.

CUA’s tuition fees and charges are set by the university’s Board of Trustees, not Enrollment Services, as many students mistakenly believe. Along with the increasing tuition price, the student population has also grown. In the academic year 2010-2011, the University increased its attendance by 5 ½ percent, making the class of 2014 the largest class the university has seen.

Between 2011 and 2012 the tuition fees at CUA have increased by $840. When discussing last year’s rise in fees, Vice President for Public Affairs Victor Nakas said, that “the increases are related to the general cost of doing business as an institution of higher education.” The cost of attendance consists of tuition, room-and-board, and required fees such as an Activities Fee and a Student Record Fee required of both undergraduate and graduate students.

In his letter, sent out just before Christmas, President Garvey writes “the change is less than the average increase at comparable private universities this year.” Georgetown University’s tuition and fees comes to $41,393.00 and George Washington University totals even more expensive $44,148.00. Nakas says that among 25 colleges and universities comparable to Catholic University, CUA is number 20 in terms of total costs charged. In other words, “we’re the sixth least expensive school among the 24 other schools against which we measure ourselves.”

Although three percent might not seem like much when compared to other schools, it does mean more for those who are paying for tuition themselves. Cocozello, like many students, pays his tuition through a combination of scholarship and government loans. However, he still plans continue with CUA unless tuition increases drastically.

“Since it’s eventually my money that will be paying for most of it, I personally am willing to pay for this education, although I doubt graduate school will be an economically feasible option after these four years at CUA.”