After a year of stagnation, costs to attend will increase by nearly 6%

By Hunter Ellis, Chloe Salveson and Olivia Valkner, Staff Contributors

After being approved by the Board of Trustees, newly-appointed Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Rachel Chrastil confirmed on Tuesday in a campus-wide email that tuition and other costs will rise in the coming academic year. 

For full-time undergraduates, tuition will go from $21,115 to $22,385 per semester. This marks a 6.01% increase.

There were no changes to Xavier’s tuition last year, in what Chrastil called a “diligent and intentional effort to not increase tuition across any degree or program during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The last tuition increase came between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, when the price for a full time undergraduate student went up from $20,110 to $21,115, a 5% increase.

According to a Newswire article published last year, this increase was expected. Vice President of Financial Administration Phil Chick explained that tuition would likely increase during the next academic year due to rising costs and supply chain shortages. 

“We’re eating it now because we didn’t raise (tuition) last year, but we’ll raise it (next fall),” Chick said in 2021.

In the same article, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Success Aaron Meis said the previous decision to hold tuition was to retain students who were debating a semester off, to help families in the midst of COVID-19 and to remain competitive against other institutions. 

Nearby colleges and universities in Cincinnati have not yet released their 2022-23 tuition updates. The University of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University, Wright State University and Hebrew Union College only have 2021-22 tuition information available to the public.

Historically, Xavier has raised their tuition every year, excluding last year’s hold. Consequently,  tuition has increased 43.77% in the last 10 years, from $15,570 to $22,385 per semester.

“I wish Xavier would say what the increase is going towards when they raise tuition, at least more publicly than they do,” junior finance major Daniel Joyce commented about this year’s tuition increase. 

Joyce would like the university to be more transparent with where the funds from the rise in tuition are being dispersed. 

“I hope we’re getting more great teachers from the University of Chicago or the Ivy League rather than a rock wall or an addition to the frisbee golf course,” Joyce said.

While tuition will increase, many additional costs of attending Xavier will remain constant.

The student activity fee stands at $115, and on-campus housing will also not see a raise. Meal plans will experience a slight increase, however, with the Xavier Blue meal plan increasing by $120.

“Please know that everyone at Xavier understands and appreciates the tremendous investment that you are making to receive a Xavier education,” Chrastil’s message reads. “We are committed to offering a quality, Jesuit experience that delivers on our mission to prepare all students for an increasingly diverse and complex world, while also holding costs to as low a level as possible.

Further information regarding the specific tuition rates is available on the Tuition and Fees section of Xavier’s website.