Ithaca College will not increase its tuition, room and board for the 2021–22 academic year.
In a Dec. 4 email to the campus community, the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) announced that the tuition for the 2021–22 academic year will remain at $46,610, with the cost of a double room at $8,976 and a standard meal plan at $6,868. The total cost of attendance will be $62,454. Tuition for graduate students will remain the same as well, but costs vary by program.
The college had been steadily increasing tuition prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with 2.95% increases for both the 2019–20 and 2020–21 academic years. These increases were the largest percent increases since the 2014–15 academic year.
The Ithaca College Board of Trustees decided to keep the tuition the same as the 2020–21 academic year because of the financial struggles students and their families are facing due to the pandemic, the email stated. In a study by Scholarship America, 64% of college students said that because of the pandemic, not being able to afford school is a top concern.
“We know that accessibility and affordability are always paramount concerns — even more so during a year that has left many facing uncertainty and financial challenge in the midst of this public health crisis and its economic fallout,” the email stated.
At the beginning of Fall 2020, students criticized the college for its refusal to decrease tuition after its transition to remote learning for the fall semester.
Financial aid will also stay consistent, assuming similar family financial circumstances, the email stated. The SLT has previously said that the college is committed to not reducing financial aid.
The email stated that the college is continuing to make difficult decisions to balance its operational budget but will not raise tuition out of a commitment to affordability. Approximately 130 full-time equivalent faculty positions are expected to be cut because of low enrollment. The cuts are in line with the Ithaca Forever strategic plan, which has been accelerated because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on the college’s finances. The Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life is also conducting the Non-Academic Program Review to find opportunities for growth, consolidation or reorganization, material saving and concentration of program strength, a decision that is also aligned with the strategic plan.
“We look forward to welcoming our wonderful students back to campus for the spring semester, and we thank you — our students and our IC families and supporters — for continuing to walk with us through this unprecedented time,” the email said.
