STORY BY PAIGE ERNSTE
Tuition and fees at Drake increase each year. From spring semester to the current fall, undergraduate tuition has increased by $683.
Tuition is broken down into the following categories: undergraduate tuition, graduate and professional programs tuition, fees, housing and meal plans.
The fees category is broken down into student activities, application, payment plan, orientation and vehicle registration.
According to Richard Selden, director of student account services, the budget for the university, which is spearheaded by the vice president of Business Administration, drives the recommendation for the cost of tuition. The budget is then approved by the Board of Trustees.
“So, really, they’re (the Board of Trustees) the ones that make those decisions about the amount that tuition is going to be and what it will be used for,” Selden said.
Below is a look at some of the things Drake students’ money pays for and how tuition has changed from the 2013-2014 school year to the 2014-2015 school year.
Although some costs did not change, it is not out of the ordinary for a university’s tuition to rise each year.
“In general terms, even in a flat economy, you have a two percent increase in the cost of living every year, so the cost of things go up even when we do nothing at all,” Selden said. “I know the university tries to keep the rate of tuition as low as possible and still be able to do the business that they need to carry out for the coming year.”
When asked for thoughts on Drake’s tuition, first-year Dusty Casey didn’t have a problem with it.
“I think it’s fine,” Casey said. “I feel like Drake is pretty generous with their scholarships, too. I don’t know many people that go here and don’t get anything at all.”
Some students feel like the tuition is appropriate for a private university, but are upst about the continuous tuition increases.
“I think it’s reasonable for a private institution. However, I think the recent raise in tuition, which was nearly five percent for every student, is unreasonable. I believe there should have been a gradual implementation of a tuition increase for incoming students,” sophomore Maddie Hasley said.
“I’m going on my third year here and, honestly, I’ve hardly noticed the yearly rise in tuition,” junior Evan Kotchevar said. “It’s one of those necessary evils, I think, and people need to understand that. Besides, Drake is totally worth it. At least for me it is.”
