NewHavenBIZ

22 n e w h a v e n B I Z | M a r c h 2 0 2 3 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m F O C U S : C o l l e g e s & U n i v e r s i t i e s Continued from previous page College. As a result, any tuition change de- pends on state funding, Harrison said. "We are advocating to the legislature to increase state funding so we don't have to raise tuition," Harrison said. "We put forth a proposal, and if we are made whole on our request, we won't have to raise tuition." e current legislative session goes into early June. Typically, the commu- nity college system sets tuition around March or April, but Harrison said it could be later this year as it awaits the legislature's decision. Students at the state's community colleges, which will soon be merging into one entity, currently pay $4,700 in annual tuition to attend full time. Even if there is a tuition increase, Harrison noted community colleges remain the most affordable higher education option in the state, and many students are eligible for grants and other financial assistance. Harrison also said that community college enrollment is up 4%, aer years of declines due to fewer people pursuing higher educa- tion. Around the region Several other New Haven-area col- leges and universities have already de- cided to increase tuition for the upcom- ing school year. One is keeping tuition the same, while others are weighing their options. In February, the University of Bridgeport announced there would be no undergraduate tuition increase for 2023-24. e nonprofit university's board of trustees voted to keep tuition at its current $35,960. UB noted that this is below the average cost of tuition for Connecticut's public and private colleges and univer- sities, which is $41,442, according to data analytics company Encoura. It's the third consecutive year the university, which recently reported a 30% increase in enrollment of first-year students, has kept tuition flat. Bill Guerrero, UB's vice president for finance and chief financial officer, said enrollment has been difficult for colleges and universities in general, and UB hopes keeping tuition flat will attract more students. UB faces pressure to increase student headcount following its $32-million takeover by East Hartford-based Good- win University. at deal, completed in 2021, came amid UB's ongoing financial struggles that predated the pandemic. A key factor in making that acqui- sition successful is Goodwin's ability to help UB boost enrollment. e deal was financed by bank debt as well as a $7.5-million low-interest state loan. Students choosing a college or university weigh factors such as price, financial aid, proximity to home, and whether academic programming matches their career goals, Guerrero noted. e pandemic also played a role in UB's tuition decision. "UB leadership, through COVID and aer, has been very aware of the cost of attending college, and that's the main reason for keeping the tuition rate flat," Guerrero said. "We're worried about students having access to higher educa- tion and it being afford- able. e pandemic has a lot of people questioning the value of higher edu- cation." Asked if tuition will continue to remain flat in coming years, Guerrero said it's hard to predict. "We would love to," Guerrero said. "We have inflation impacting personal lives too. We want to take care of our employees. We want UB to be a great place for students and staff. We try to balance all of those needs." Trending upward For area colleges instituting increases, tuition is going up between 2.5% to 4%, representing approximately an addi- tional $400 to $3,000 annually. Yale announced in February that tuition will be $64,700 for the 2023- 2024 academic year, up from $62,250, approximately a 3.9% increase. Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of under- graduate admissions and financial aid, said aid will increase too. "Yale's need-based financial aid awards always increase in lockstep with any increases in the term bill," Quinlan said. Families of undergraduate students who can't afford the full cost of atten- dance receive a Yale scholarship grant. Yale reported that approximately 3,500 undergraduates currently get financial aid from Yale, with an average grant of more than $63,000. At the University of New Haven, tu- ition, plus a general student fee, will be up about 3.5% to $45,730 for 2023-24. Greg Eichhorn, UNH's vice president for enrollment and student success, said, "We are limiting our tuition in- crease to 3.5 percent, which is far below the rate of inflation we have all expe- rienced. We continue to be committed to providing significant financial aid to support deserving students in pursuing their educational goals." At Post University, tuition will jump from $28,250 to $31,075 for the 2023-24 academic year for undergraduate main campus students, according to spokes- woman Joan Huwiler. "Post has not implemented a price increase in seven years on its main cam- pus, and during that time, the university has made significant investments in programming, facilities and the student experience," Huwiler said. At Fairfield University, tuition for 2023-24 will be $55,510, up from $53,630. School spokeswoman Jennifer Ander- son said, "Fairfield University remains committed to offering students an affordable, comprehensive educational experience, ever mindful of increasing costs of instruction and support ser- vices related to economic inflation." Anderson noted Fairfield has in- creased its student aid by 40% percent over the last five years. At Quinnipiac University in Hamden, tuition, including student and tech- nology fees, will be $53,090 in the new academic year, approximately a 2.5% increase. n Gateway Community College in downtown New Haven. PHOTO | MICHELLE TUCCITTO SULLO Yale University's campus. University of Bridgeport campus. PHOTO | COURTESY JACK DEVLIN PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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