2.6% tuition increase raises 2022-23 cost to nearly $70,000

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DePauw University’s cost of attendance is nearly $70,000 for the 2022-23 academic year due to a 2.6% increase in tuition, room and board, according to an email from Vice President of Enrollment Mary Beth Patrie and Vice President of Finance and Administration Bob Leonard sent to students on April 6.

“To guide us in setting the price of tuition and fees, each year we assess the costs of University operations, including faculty and staff salaries, student support services, maintaining our beautiful campus and other important and necessary activities to deliver the highest quality education and personalized experience to our students,” Patrie and Leonard said in the email. 

The price increase is a reflection of national inflation trends rather than DePauw’s recent Bold and Gold campaign, which includes plans to create three new schools, according to President Dr. Lori White. 

“It is a challenging environment for small liberal arts colleges that are tuition dependent. And you’ll ask the reason why tuition is raising. It’s not because of the Strategic Plan. It’s because of everything that you’ve read in the newspaper, right? Inflation, wanting to adequately and fairly compensate our employees. Doing business is just now costing all of us more,” White said. 

Despite the potentially startling summation price, this 2.6% increase is a smaller percentage than tuition has been raised in years prior, and also smaller than several other universities that DePauw “competes with,” according to White.

A portion of overall enrollment prices also cycles back into student financial aid, which over 90% of DePauw students receive, according to DePauw University’s website. 

“In support of student education, this year DePauw provided $60 million in student scholarships and financial aid representing 38% of our total operating budget. Notwithstanding inflationary pressures, investments in and fundraising toward student financial aid and scholarships remain a top priority for DePauw,” Patrie and Leonard said in the email.