Costs to attend Notre Dame are set to increase 2% for the 2021-2022 academic year, as set by the Board of Trustees earlier this semester, according to University spokesman Dennis Brown. 2% is the lowest percentage increase at the University in more than 50 years, Brown said.
“The trustees and officers of the University are keenly aware of the difficulties many families have faced due to the pandemic,” Brown said.
Tuition costs for the University are set to increase 1.98% for the 2021-2022 academic year, from $57,699 to $58,843, according to data from the Office of Financial Aid website. Room and board costs will also increase by $320, or 2%, going from $15,984 to $16,304 to live on campus.
After added expenses, the 2021-2022 total cost of attendance will be roughly $78,347.
Brown said parents and guardians are notified of tuition costs and expected financial aid via student account invoicing.
Brown said the University expects need-based financial aid to increase by approximately 6% for the upcoming year.
The 1.98% increase is lower than in past years where a 3.7% increase was a consistent trend. In 2018, University President Fr. John Jenkins indicated that the 3.6% increase for the 2018-2019 term was “the lowest in 50 years.”
On Feb. 12, Saint Mary’s announced a 5% increase in tuition costs with a freeze on room and board expenses. The College indicated that the decision was given close consideration due to financial factors caused by the pandemic.
Both decisions by the University and College to raise tuition come as other colleges in Indiana have announced tuition freezes. Butler University declared Jan. 28 that its rates would remain the same while Purdue University has not raised tuition since the 2012-2013 academic year.
Nationally, private universities are divided in how to approach setting tuition as a response to the pandemic.
Stanford University will keep tuition flat while “modestly raising” room and board, stating the pandemic “has brought many students and families increased stress and uncertainty about their finances and their health.”
The University of Southern California announced in an email March 23 that it will also increase tuition by 2% — the school's lowest increase since 1967.
Aware of the serious issue of rising tuition, Brown said the University is aware of the economic reality of higher education as a labor and capital intensive endeavor.
“Our abiding commitment is to continue providing an unsurpassed educational experience, while at the same time doing all we can to minimize our spending and, most importantly, maximize the financial aid we provide to our students and their families,” Brown said.
