Devon Mitchell
On September 15th, Roanoke College made the announcement that they would be “resetting” the price of tuition for Fall 2022. At a reduction of 28 percent, tuition will go from $46,510 to $33,510.
It is important to note that the reset does not necessarily mean what students pay will be lower. What it does mean is that the ticket price of tuition is more representative of what students are actually paying. Brenda Poggendorf, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid said, “We know our published price was misleading, it’s nowhere near what students pay. We wanted clarity on what it actually costs to come to Roanoke.”
Along with tuition being lowered, so will financial aid and scholarships. So, in reality students will be paying a relatively similar price to what they pay now. Depending on a student’s year, they will be saving between $450 to $1,500.
The College states in the email sent out on the 15th, the reason behind the reset is to, “make it easier for students to discover Roanoke College and the value of a life lived on purpose.” The college wants to offer the Roanoke experience to more students and believes the ticket price for a tuition is a major contribution into how students decide on colleges to consider. Members of the team that helped to make this decision, including President Maxey, the Deans of the College, and the Board of Trustees hope the reset will make Roanoke more appealing to perspective students.
Long term, the College hopes to see enrollment increase by 1-2% every year. Administration is always looking for programs to attract a wider demographic. Within recent years, the college has added a wrestling team, a men’s volleyball team, and new academic programs. Hopefully the reset will do the same.
