Local Colleges Raise Rates
By Erica Erwin, Erie Times-News, Pa.
Apr. 9–So your high school senior finally received that coveted college acceptance letter.
Step two: Figuring out how to pay the bill — a hurdle that is only going to become higher at several local colleges.
Students at Mercyhurst College, Gannon University and Allegheny College will pay 5 percent to 7 percent more in tuition, fees, and room and board in 2007-08.
At Mercyhurst’s Erie campus, the total tab for an undergraduate resident student will be $29,676, an increase of $1,854, or 6.7 percent, over 2006-07 rates.
At the North East campus, resident students will pay $18,996 per year, a 5.3 percent increase over 2006-07 rates.
Costs are based on a traditional 30-credit course load, and could vary for some programs.
Jane Kelsey, treasurer and vice president of finance for Mercyhurst, said the college is “very sensitive” to the investment that families make in students’ education.
“We do our best to increase total costs only as much as we need to reinvest in the college and to make sure students continue to get a good education,” Kelsey said, adding that the college was recognized as a “best buy” by U.S. News & World Report magazine.
“We’re one of the lowest-priced colleges in terms of total cost, when compared to our private competitors,” Kelsey said.
Tuition increases are needed, in part, to help fund faculty and student research, as well as renovations of the biology and ecology lab on the Erie campus, Kelsey said.
Families don’t take annual tuition increases for granted, but they do understand that they are necessary, Kelsey said.
“More families are beginning to understand the payoff of a college education in terms of their son’s or daughter’s lifelong earning potential,” she said. “They’re investing in their son’s or daughter’s future.”
Gannon University increased its tuition by 6.9 percent and its total bill — tuition, fees and room and board — by 6.4 percent over 2006-07 rates.
Tuition for 2007-08 is set at $20,850 for resident undergraduate students in humanities, business and education programs, and at $22,110 for students enrolled in the college’s engineering, computer science or health science programs.
The overall cost, including tuition, fees and room and board, is $29,556 for resident undergraduate students in humanities, business and education programs, and $30,816 for resident undergraduate students enrolled in engineering, computer science or health science programs.
Linda Wagner, Gannon’s vice president for finance and administration, said the university’s tuition has “consistently been on the low-end” when compared with similar colleges.
“We try to be very careful,” Wagner said. “We try to keep it as low as possible, but there are adjustments that we have to make.”
The increase will be used to fund, among other projects, major renovations to the 35-year-old Zurn Science Center, Wagner said.
“Students are never happy with increases,” she said. “But we’ve explained some of the things we’re doing, so I think they understand.”
Incoming Allegheny College students will pay a total of $37,500 for 2007-08, including $29,680 in tuition, $7,500 in room and board, and $320 in fees.
That’s a 6.2 percent increase over current costs.
Allegheny officials could not be reached for comment Friday.
The University of Pittsburgh system and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which include the University of Pittsburgh-Titusville and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania respectively, have not yet set rates.
The Pennsylvania State University System, which includes Penn State Behrend, is expected to set its rates around July, a Behrend spokeswoman said.
Total cost to attend local colleges, including tuition, fees and room and board, in 2007-08*: –Mercyhurst College: $29,676 (Erie campus), $18,996 (North East campus)
–Gannon University: $29,556 for resident undergraduate students in humanities, business and education programs; $30,816 for resident undergraduate students enrolled in engineering, computer science or health science programs.
–Allegheny College: $37,500
*For residential, undergraduate students
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Copyright (c) 2007, Erie Times-News, Pa.
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