Less is more for tuition hike

Tuition rise goes down $30 from 2014-2015 increase

By Casey Gale
Students gearing up for next semester will need to consider the annual tuition increase for the 2015-16 academic year, which will be 4.2 percent, down slightly from the 4.5 percent increase in the 2014-2015 academic year. The actual increase from last year is down $30. The change is effective summer 2015.
Full-time, comprehensive tuition will rise to $37,650, up from the current $36,120, with room and board costing $6,885. The combined increase for tuition, fees, room and board is 3.9 percent, according to a letter from President Mordechai Rozanski sent to students’ homes.
Jamie O’Hara, vice president of enrollment management, said that with an increase in tuition will also come an increase in financial aid, which will rise by an additional $4.6 million. This brings Rider’s total financial aid commitment to $61 million for next year.
“We must be sensitive to families who, after enrolling at Rider, experience the need for additional financial aid to remain enrolled,” O’Hara said.
For students and benefactors wondering where the extra money is going, O’Hara explained that tuition costs go toward some campus improvements, such as a restoration of the Williamson Clock Tower on the Westminster campus scheduled for May and the implementation of the Xfinity On Campus service, scheduled for the fall. Additionally, tuition fees support Rider’s newly implemented programs, Health Management and Sport Management. The university also expects to approve an Allied Health major this spring.
O’Hara noted that major improvements that are donor or grant funded are not funded by the tuition increase.