Tuition increase to add $1,368 to annual bill

By Jesus Diaz

Despite a 3.8 percent tuition jump next year, freshmen applications are at an all-time high.

The increase will add $1,368 in annual payment, increasing Santa Clara's undergraduate tuition to $37,368 next year. There will also be a two percent salary increase for faculty and staff. The increases allow the university to keep its promise of small classes, extra-curricular activities and a high-quality faculty, said Mike Sexton, vice president of enrollment management.

Despite financial adjustments, the university is becoming increasingly popular among high school graduates. According to Sexton, the number of applications received this year tallied to more than 1,568 over last year's number.

Students like freshman Quin Adler are upset about the financial changes.

"I'd say that a large amount of students wouldn't be here if they didn't have scholarships just because I feel the high cost of this university isn't really worth it," he said. "I feel that increasing it more without increasing benefits on our part isn't really fair."

Said sophomore Emily Moreland: "I can definitely see how it can be a problem for students who are barely making it. A thousand dollars is a thousand dollars."

Some students, like freshman Bismah Aziz, support the changes approved by the Board of Trustees. "I think it's a good idea because college professors are underpaid," Aziz said. "We'd be able to attract better teachers and we would then benefit from that too"

"A 3.8 percent increase sounds big, but when you work out the numbers, I don't think it's that significant," Aziz said.

Santa Clara administrative officials such as Sexton say the undergraduate tuition rate is "never frozen" and hasn't been in recent history.

Sexton said the only way to keep tuition at a stable rate would be to increase budget cuts, which are not likely to happen. With this new tuition increase, according to Budget Director Dennis Roberts, the university will continue to have a balanced budget without the need of budget cuts.

"Santa Clara does not have the luxury of having a multibillion dollar endowment," said Sexton. "Unless someone came along and made a mega gift to the institution, we are tuition dependent."

Roughly 75 percent of Santa Clara's operating expenses is covered by tuition, according to Roberts. This means that more than three quarters of the budget is solely composed of payments made by students and families.

"We also try to moderate the impact on students' families," Roberts said. "We were able to balance the budget with a 3.8 percent undergraduate (tuition) increase and still be able to have a moderate salary increase for faculty and staff."

Roberts mentioned there will be minor changes in the technology sector of the university, with these adjustments having no effect on operations of technology and support.

Graduate students, law students and other professional students will also witness an increase of 3.5 percent in tuition. Fifty-three percent of the university's budget is funded by undergraduate tuition and fees, while graduate tuition supplies 24 percent of the university budget.

According to Sexton, early-action applications saw a significant increase from 2,531 last year to 3,034 applications filed this year. Regular-action applications also saw a rise from 7,695 last year to 8,760 this year. This gives a total of 11,794 applications filed this year as opposed to last year's amount of 10,226.

"Increased visibility of the institution outside California" and increasing popularity of "mid-size universities" have contributed to the rise in applications, according to Sexton.

Sexton also cited the recent "horror stories" in the California public system and the current economic downturn as possible reasons for the large number of Santa Clara applicants.

"The pool that we admitted is the most able (academically) and also the neediest; that is the economy speaking there," he said.

Although Sexton did not cite a specific financial aid increase for students, he said almost 80 percent of families are getting assistance.

According to Sexton, Santa Clara became more selective this year with an acceptance rate of 57.7 percent, compared to last year's rate of 59 percent. More than 700 students are currently waitlisted as opposed to last year's 200.

Said Sexton: "There are some students in the waiting list that a couple years ago would have been admitted."

Contact Jesus Diaz a jadiaz@scu.edu or (408) 554-4546.