Public Liberal Arts College Locks Tuition for In-State and Out-Of-State Students; Rates Now Below Fall 2010 Level, Ensures Class of 2016 Will Never See Tuition Raised
Press Release from St. Mary’s College of Maryland
ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. (December 8, 2014)—Today the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Board of Trustees voted to approve no tuition increase for the 2015-16 academic year. This is the third straight year with no increase for Maryland residents and the second year in a row of no increase for out-of-state students. This extraordinary step towards affordability locks into place the 2014-15 tuition rate of $11,195 for in-state students which had already been cut by 8.6% from the previous year. It also locks into place the 2014 tuition rate of $26,045 for out-of -state students.
“Among the highest priorities for St. Mary’s College is not only to provide our students with the best public liberal arts education available, but to ensure access. Our success is well documented: we have the fourth highest graduation rate in the nation for public liberal arts colleges, while also graduating students with one of the lowest loan burdens in Maryland,” said Dr. Tuajuanda C. Jordan, newly inaugurated president of St. Mary’s College. “We are committed to keeping a St. Mary’s College education both excellent and affordable.”
This action firmly signals an ongoing commitment by St. Mary’s College of Maryland to provide a top liberal arts education that is affordable. Kiplinger recognized St. Mary’s College in its 2014 guide to “The Top 100 Public Colleges” as the fourth best value among small public colleges nationally, and ninth among all institutions in the Mid-Atlantic region. The recent freeze adds to these distinctions. The frozen rate keeps the tuition cost for in-state students below the fall 2010 level.
“In contrast to many other institutions who have taken such action, the decision to hold the line on tuition does not sacrifice scholarships that students have received, or will be eligible to receive,” said Gary Sherman, vice president for enrollment management and dean of admissions. “We’re taking steps unprecedented in higher education to make a world-class liberal arts experience affordable and accessible to students from all walks of life.”