Undergraduate tuition rates for the 2019-2020 school year are set to rise by 3.59 percent to $55,440, University Provost Robert Groves announced in a Jan.16 campus-wide email. Undergraduate student tuition for the current school year is $53,420, marking a 3.5 percent increase from last year.
In addition to the tuition increase, housing costs are projected to grow. Rates are slated to increase by 1.9 percent for all students living in residence halls, upperclassmen suites, or apartments and by 4 percent for all students living in on-campus townhouses. The cost of meal plans and study abroad programs will not increase.
Beginning in fall 2019, there will no longer be a seperate fee for membership to the Yates Field House, according to the announcement email. Removing the $420 fee results in a net increase of 2.8 percent, according to the announcement email.
“All undergraduates have access to Yates included with their tuition now like many other campus services,” per Rachel Pugh, a university spokesperson.
The announcement also provided information as to how tuition would be spent in the 2019-2020 school year.
“In setting tuition rates, we must balance the competing needs of academic programs, students, faculty, staff, facilities and infrastructure,” Groves wrote.
To satisfy this competing balance, 43 percent of tuition and fees will be directed towards educational instruction, 21 percent towards financial aid, 13 percent towards institutional support, 7 percent towards student services, and 16 percent towards other operational expenses.
The tuition increase came after a roundtable hosted by the Provost’s Office, GUSA, and Georgetown University Graduate Student Government in November to solicit student feedback.
As was explained at the event, Georgetown relies heavily on tuition, which accounts for almost half of the university’s revenue, as opposed to donor contributions, which make up less than 15 percent. Out of the top-25 institutions ranked by U.S. News and World Report, Georgetown’s $1.66 billion endowment remains among the lowest.
Despite this, Groves further emphasized the importance of supporting students and prospective students in need of financial aid. Georgetown will be investing over $218 million in financial aid for the upcoming school year— a historically high amount according to the announcement email. Groves reaffirmed that the university will continue to meet full aid needs demonstrated by the FAFSA and CSS Profile.
“We continue to prioritize cost containment efforts, and have renewed our commitment to securing scholarship funding,” Groves wrote. “Every student admitted to Georgetown through a rigorous selection process [will be able to] attend regardless of their ability to pay.”
