2008 Woodie Awards
Tuition, housing rates rise for '08-09
Citing health care costs, utilities annual costs increases $1,800; choice rooms more costly
Jen Burn
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: News
In a letter dated March 3, Trinity University President John R. Brazil alerted parents to the increase in tuition for the 2008-2009 school year, which includes an increase in the cost of living on campus.
According to the Trinity University online Factbook for 2007-2008, the University tuition for this school year was $24,864. This contrasts with the tuition for 2008-2009, which, according to Brazil's letter to parents, will be $26,664.
Specifically, living on campus will cost $9,010 next year, according to a spreadsheet compiled by Associate Director of Residential Life Wanda Olson. This is up from the $8,270 it cost to live on campus this year, according to the University online Factbook for 2007-2008.
As stated in the letter from Brazil, the reasons for the increased cost of living include increased health care costs and utilities.
"There is a whole budget process that involves each department submitting requests in the fall to get approved for the following year," Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life David Tuttle said. "All of those requests get factored in together to look at what is being asked for in terms of the expenses and revenue coming in. Nobody ever asks for a decrease, because of course we want to give more services to students."
According to Tuttle, staff salaries and benefits are the biggest expense, followed lar-gely by technology, and other products and services that the University delivers.
"I'm not saying that it is not a big deal to parents, because it is," Olson said in response to the increase in room rates. "Each year it hurts more, but costs will go up every year for something just because of inflation. I can't imagine we will ever see the year that prices will go down."
Concerned about the competiveness of on-campus living in regards to off-campus apartment rates, Dean of Students David Tuttle, asked Olson to compile the spreadsheet data.
According to the spreadsheet, a residence hall double oc-cupancy room costs $9,010, compared to $9,428 for a double occupancy apartment at Keystone at Alamo Heights, $8,121 for a double occupancy at New England Village, and $9,583 for a double occupancy apartment at Rosemont over the course of 10 months.
According to the Trinity University online Factbook for 2007-2008, the University tuition for this school year was $24,864. This contrasts with the tuition for 2008-2009, which, according to Brazil's letter to parents, will be $26,664.
Specifically, living on campus will cost $9,010 next year, according to a spreadsheet compiled by Associate Director of Residential Life Wanda Olson. This is up from the $8,270 it cost to live on campus this year, according to the University online Factbook for 2007-2008.
As stated in the letter from Brazil, the reasons for the increased cost of living include increased health care costs and utilities.
"There is a whole budget process that involves each department submitting requests in the fall to get approved for the following year," Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life David Tuttle said. "All of those requests get factored in together to look at what is being asked for in terms of the expenses and revenue coming in. Nobody ever asks for a decrease, because of course we want to give more services to students."
According to Tuttle, staff salaries and benefits are the biggest expense, followed lar-gely by technology, and other products and services that the University delivers.
"I'm not saying that it is not a big deal to parents, because it is," Olson said in response to the increase in room rates. "Each year it hurts more, but costs will go up every year for something just because of inflation. I can't imagine we will ever see the year that prices will go down."
Concerned about the competiveness of on-campus living in regards to off-campus apartment rates, Dean of Students David Tuttle, asked Olson to compile the spreadsheet data.
According to the spreadsheet, a residence hall double oc-cupancy room costs $9,010, compared to $9,428 for a double occupancy apartment at Keystone at Alamo Heights, $8,121 for a double occupancy at New England Village, and $9,583 for a double occupancy apartment at Rosemont over the course of 10 months.
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