Tuition Ceilings Would Curb Skyrocketing Fees

Every year, families grimace when they see the newest Fordham tuition figures. While it makes sense for the school to raise tuition because of tough economic times and the decreased endowment, the multi-thousand-dollar yearly increases are enough for families to want to stop tightening their belts and start hanging themselves with them.

The university is doing poorly financially, but many families of Fordham students may have also been affected by the economic downturn. When most less-than-full-tuition scholarships do not increase along with the tuition and many families may not have calculated for the steep increase in costs, Fordham might do well to follow the examples of schools like Middlebury College by establishing tuition hike ceilings. This way, students would know before enrolling whether or not they can afford the school, and whether or not their scholarships or financial aid will be enough after a few years of tuition increases.

Fordham University at Rose Hill is the 53rd-most expensive school in America, according to Campusgrotto.com. The site's estimated cost for tuition, room and board at Fordham is $49,541, while the cost of the most expensive school in America, Sarah Lawrence College, is $54,410. Though there is a ranking difference of over 50 spots, there is only a $4,869 difference in price per year. The second-most expensive school, New York University, is only $2,450 more expensive than Fordham. That sum is almost negligible; Fordham students from across the country might pay that much in airfare each year, making Fordham more expensive for Californians than New York University would be for denizens of Connecticut. Because of this narrow difference in costs, Fordham should be thought of as one of the most expensive schools in the nation. When families are already paying megabucks to send their children to school, the yearly tuition hikes begin to take their toll.

Perhaps Fordham is ashamed of its hefty price, because it appears nearly impossible to find the current cost of tuition on the school's Web site. Though Fordham has released figures for 2010-2011's costs, the Web site has hidden away those numbers, which seem to be available only on bills to families.

Students have observed Fordham's reticence.

"Finding Fordham's actual tuition price is as hard as finding the nutrition facts at a McDonald's," Jacqui Gutkin, FCRH '12, said.

According to the Fordham Facts page, Fordham's undergraduate tuition price for 2008-2009 was $34,200, but the fact sheet offers little insight into the current year's cost (which, the Chronicle of Higher Education proclaims is $36,882, a 4.6 percent increase). According to a letter sent out to parents, next year's projected tuition is $38,345, another increase of almost $2,000.

Everyone is in a tough spot, financially. However, the school's solution to a lower endowment should not be to gouge students for even more money, especially when families may be trapped in their own financial nightmares.

Many colleges are stuck in this difficult position, but Middlebury College has taken steps toward a possible solution. According to insidehighered.com, Middlebury has proposed that the total cost of its tuition, room and board should increase no more than one percentage point above the consumer price index. The article explains that College Board reports a 4.4 percent increase in tuition, room and board at private, four-year colleges.

While this would not save students an enormous amount of money, and while it would limit the school's budget, it is a step in the right direction. Over the past few decades, college costs have been on a climb that outstrips inflation and average earnings increases. The cost of college should not have to cripple families economically, especially in today's world, when college is essential in the job market.

Over the past few years, Fordham's price tag has drifted steadily upwards. Fordham cannot raise its tuition $2,000 every year in the future. Anyone who can add sees that this is an unsustainable increase.

Fordham does the right thing with its full tuition scholarships, which increase with tuition, but it errs in not pegging smaller scholarships and grants to tuition increases. For example, if someone is offered about $10,000 annually for a Dean's Scholarship, he or she might realize by senior year that this scholarship did little more than cover the increases in tuition.

No one knows when the economic climate will grow less tempestuous, and Fordham must take steps to hold its tuition steady. It is true that the University's endowment has dropped 24 percent, from $434,706,000 in June 2008 to $330,166,000 in June 2009, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. This has hurt the school, and has prompted visible cuts this year, from the severely decreased library hours to the reduced operation of the Walsh Gate. However, for comparison, Middlebury College's endowment has dropped 21 percent during the same time period, and it wants to try to hold its tuition steady.

The administration must find ways to cut University spending without cutting scholarships or financial aid, and without crippling the University's academics. It is impossible to suggest how the University can do this, since its budget is as opaque as the door of a bank vault, but there must be ways that Fordham can streamline its operation, become more efficient and save money. The only other opinion would be to raise tuition, which cannot continue at this rate for much longer.

A 2010 Jaguar XF sedan costs $52,000, which is close to what Fordham will cost next school year. If Fordham costs as much as a Jaguar this year, there are only so many consecutive years that the University can raise tuition before a year of school becomes the same price as a Ferrari. And most families cannot afford to buy a Ferrari every year.

Christine Barcellona, FCRH '12, is an English major from Dallas, Texas. She can be reached at cbarcellona@fordham.edu.