With many commodities rising in price, tuition at Carnegie Mellon will also increase for current and incoming undergraduate students for the fall 2006 semester. The announcement came on February 17, the same day it was authorized by the University's Board of Trustees.

The tiered tuition increase means that not all students will experience the same increase. Undergraduate students who entered Carnegie Mellon from the fall of 2003 through 2005 will see a 4.4 percent increase to $33,050. Incoming undergraduates in the fall of 2006 will see an 8 percent increase to $34,180. Other increases will affect room and board costs, room going up 4.9 percent and board 2.8 percent. These increases reflect the rising costs of goods and services.

Financial aid will adjust to reflect these changes.

In October 2005, discussion of an increase began. A tuition committee of 80 to 90 people met in November of last year to discuss the possibility. This committee was made up of parents of current students and students from the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes. Participants of the meeting expressed understanding in that they know costs go up for quality education, but requested that the University didn't "raise the price arbitrarily," as one parent said.

"The student experience here extends beyond the classroom into all aspects of student life. Tuition helps to fuel a very positive experience for our students and provides them with a strong start on their futures," said William Elliot, Carnegie Mellon's Vice President for Enrollment.

According to Elliot, tuition price increases on a yearly basis to "sustain and improve" the experience of Carnegie Mellon students. The University has to keep up with its reputation and rising cost. It is a leader among research universities, and its world-class research centers include The Robotics Institute, CyLab, and the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). Carnegie Mellon also has branch campuses in Qatar, Australia, and Silicon Valley. To maintain all of these facilities and more, the University needs funding.

Carnegie Mellon uses tuition to sustain and grow the kinds of programs that allow it to compete for outstanding students and faculty. If the University holds tuition constant, it  would have to cut  programs and services. Tuition aids in keeping a well-trained, respected faculty and new technology on campus. Even e-mail isn't free, yet the campus is incredibly well-wired. Tuition also supports the expansion of undergraduate education initiatives and the continuous improvement of student facilities.
 
"The Carnegie Mellon degree would be worth less if there were larger classes," Elliot said. "We work to maintain and improve the quality of the experience."

Carnegie Mellon University placed #22 in the U.S. News ranking of national universities. (See, CMU in the Top 25 Again.) A ranking such as this one is an important factor for students who enroll and especially for those who cannot visit the campus. (See, What Do the Rankings Mean, Anyway?) Competition for one of the 1,360 incoming student spots has increased. The University reports that enrollment has increased 20 percent to a record of over 18,493 applicants. With so many students vying for the limited number of spots, it would seem that quality is more of an issue than price.

But the question remains: will Pittsburgh's pizza shops and half-price restaurants suffer from the tuition increase? That remains to be seen. 

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