As all you Rutgers students look at your term bills for this upcoming semester, be prepared to see an increase in tuition and fees. Finalized on July 16 by the university’s governing board, this anticipated tuition hike was not surprising at all considering Rutgers’ past history.
What to Expect:
- A 2.3% increase in the annual in-state tuition, meaning students will end up paying about $14,131 per year.
- A 2.6% increase in Room & Board Rates. (Yes folks, that includes yet another increase for the already ridiculously priced meal plan that we pay for every year!)
- If you’re an out-of-state student, then you lucked out. Expect your tuition to go up ~3.4% from last year’s.
- Last, but certainly not least: graduate students should not only expect an increase in annual fees (also 2.3%), but also an increase in per-credit for programs. That’s an estimated $678-$948 per credit.
*Data collected from nj.com.*
So why is this happening?
Rutgers just recently incurred a 3.7% cut in state funding for Rutgers Operations. Okay, understandable. But, let’s take a look at the other costs.
- After the infamous DDOS attacker took over Rutgers University’s networks for days, the school has finally decided to invest in their IT systems (too bad they couldn’t invest in one beforehand).
- Apart from that and other “mandatory costs” not specified, the only other cost the Rutgers Board of Governors disclosed on was the 2% rise in Rutgers Employees’ salaries due to new contracts with unions.
- Now, according to the chart below, 27.6% of Rutgers’ expenditures is spent on Instruction (includes salaries and benefits of professors and TA’s).
- That is nearly 1/3 of the overall expenditures of the University! Yes, it’s understandable that negotiations with Unions are critical. BUT, blatantly ignoring the request for a tuition freeze and moving forward with the proposed tuition hike with hardly any compromise is just disrespectful to Rutgers Students.
Financial Aid
There is good news though (at least for some). With the tuition hike, Rutgers is also increasing their financial aid grants by 3%. Their Assistance Grant Program aims to aid low-income students. Rutgers also claims their financial aid will reach nearly 50% of their students. Well, with about 66,000 students enrolled, that’s unfortunate for the other 30,000 students that will receive nothing but loans!
What does this mean for Rutgers students?
- Congratulations! You are now attending a university that has just been added to the list of highest tuitions among four-year public schools in America. Read More
- Just another fun fact: Our tuition is also the 4th highest in the Big Ten. Ironically enough, we spent nearly $19.6 million in football operating expenses last year. And we'll be spending more this year!
- More student debt! YAY!
- Oh and lastly, are you thinking about grad school? Well, think again! According to a 2014 analysis, of the 20 schools that generated the most Graduate student debt, Rutgers was one of them. Not only that, but it was the ONLY public institution on the list. Read about the $6.5 billion in graduate student loans generated by America’s top 20 most expensive grad schools here.
