Tuition has increased
October 29, 2019
Having trouble paying for that Dunkin’ Latte? Don’t have enough money for books? If your bank account keeps shrinking, it could be the annual tuition hikes you’re paying.
According to NJCUs Bursar’s Office, tuition costs are consistently rising. For example, freshmen enrolled in NJCU beginning Fall 2016 paid incremental tuition increases of approximately three percent every year. Which means, these Freshmen saw an increase of $491.50 over the past four years.
Tuition increases and fee rates are approved by NJCUs Board of Trustees, which typically meets in June or July to approve tuition costs for the upcoming academic year. In June 2019, the Board approved a three-percent tuition hike for the 2019-2020 academic year, but it seems no announcement of the increase was made to students.
Board of Trustees Chairman Rafael Perez says the 2019-2020 tuition hike was small but necessary. The board approved the increase to address budget needs like salaries and operating expenses.
“The board has consistently tried to keep tuition as low as possible in light of reductions in state aid and rising salaries and costs,” Perez said. “Tuition is a function of enrollment, state aid, salaries, and other operational expenses of the University. NJCU tuition has the lowest tuition of all the state colleges and universities in New Jersey.”
Student Government Association (SGA) President Ricky Cruz says it’s important for students to be notified when tuition goes up.
“Students pay money to go here and have the right to know they are going to be paying more,” Perez says. “[The administration] has to be more transparent with the students.”
Below are the following NJCU tuition increases from 2016-2020.
Undergraduate Tuition Per Semester
2016-2017
In State
$5,715.05
Out-of-State
$10,228.95
2017-2018
In State
$5,880.80
Out-of-State
$10,525.60
2.9 percent ($165.75) increase from 2016-2017 school year
2018-2019
In-State
$6,025.80
Out-of-State
$10,786.75
2.46 percent ($145) increase from 2017-2018 school year
2019-2020
In-State
$6,206.55
Out-of-State
$11,110.35
3 percent ($180.75) increase from 2018-2019 school year
Ty • Feb 14, 2020 at 10:03 am
Tried posting a comment that was relevant to the topic, but didn’t get approved. Aren’t colleges supposed to be a place we’re you can exchange ideas, and not get silenced if it’s something some person monitoring the comments thinks?
Don’t care if this doesn’t get approved, so go ahead and raise the tuition another 3% next year.
Ty • Feb 5, 2020 at 10:57 am
Find it funny I have to leave my email so I can probably get harassed for leaving a comment. And people wonder why families aren’t forming. Cause people leave college with around 40,000 of debt.
For what, to go to our over paid administers who hate us anyway? Or is it just so you can keep building more pointless things, like spending several thousand dollars on an entrance that, let’s be honest no one really care about. If Njcu is getting federal loans, why is it their still ripping students off? This is hurting the country, families and goals are being ruined.