By Amy Bailey
Staff Reporter
The recession strikes again!
This time the burden of financial despair is taking a swipe at Bryan College, right at the pockets of the students. Tuition, as well as room and board, are going up by approximately 5 percent, taking effect in the 2013-14 school year. These new rates have already been published on Bryan’s website.
That represents a $500-per-semester increase for full-time tuition and $150-per-semester for room and board.
The College Board reported that on average, private, nonprofit colleges increased their tuition by 4.2 percent from the 2011-2012 school year to the 2012-2013 school year.
According to Bryan’s Director of Financial Aid, David Haggard, these cost spikes are in line with historical increases within the past several years and assist in maintaining Bryan’s position as one of the least expensive 4-year private liberal arts colleges in the nation.
“Bryan understands the financial challenges our students face and will continue to offer generous scholarships and grants. None of our programs are being eliminated,” Haggard said.
Returning students will maintain eligibility for current amounts of academic, need-based, local and grant subsidies for which they continue to meet the qualifications and renewal criteria.
Student-athletes could see these particular awards rolled into what will be identified as their Athletic Scholarship. Additionally, coaches, as they always have, will be evaluating individual player contributions to determine if adjustments will be necessary to Athletic (Performance) Scholarships to ensure appropriate scholarship levels and that the team stays within budget. Student-athletes will be notified by their coaches regarding changes to their Bryan aid as it relates to athletic scholarships.
Financial aid award notifications for continuing students will begin to be sent out in late February as students complete the FAFSA and any related documentation.
As always, students who receive their award letter and find it a struggle to pay for Bryan next year should be encouraged to speak with a financial aid counselor or their coach right away.
