EMU’s tuition increases slower than rivals’

Percent increase in tuition, 2003-04

EMU's tuition rates are increasing more slowly than those of similar colleges, despite slightly decreased enrollment and a budget crunch.

Rival colleges Goshen and Messiah both had increases much larger than EMU's for the 2003-04 school year. Goshen's tuition increased 11 percent and Messiah's increased 10.3 percent compared to EMU's six percent increase. In comparison to other Christian colleges and universities EMU's rate of increase in the past few years looks to be very similar.

Interim President Beryl Brubaker expects that tuition will increase next year at a rate somewhere between 3 and 6 percent. Vice President of Finance Ron Piper said, "It would be difficult for me to predict ... I think it will be less than it has been in the past."

Piper added, "We are very student tuition-dependent and our enrollment had been going up slightly each year… Then in 2001-2002 we turned down…" Partly as a result of lower student enrollment, several areas of the budget received cuts this year. Some of the areas being cut are "personnel, Historical Library services, travel, library book budget, supplies, memberships for faculty and staff, and probably other areas that don't come to mind," said Brubaker.

The budget cuts were not across the board. Some categories of the budget were even increased. Personnel in human resources and web development, sabbaticals for faculty, and undergraduate financial aid were given more finances, "and every employee got a $750 raise," said Brubaker.

EMU's 32-year average tuition increase is 7.7 percent. Josh Leland, a sophomore, says"That's ridiculous; at that rate tuition will double in 10 years." Josh will likely transfer to Penn State next year to major in engineering. However, he says the reason he is leaving is not tuition-related, but is because EMU does not offer engineering.

The drop in student enrollment has not gone unnoticed by the admissions department. In July of 2002, the department began many new initiatives to become more effective in bringing student levels up. Among these initiatives is an easier application process, more communication with applicants, visiting more churches, proactive recruitment of transfer students, and more faculty and student involvement in the recruiting process.

Brubaker feels optimistic in the midst of budget cuts, "We do more with less compared to many institutions but students may not realize that as they look at the budget." She felt that students would be interested in knowing that, "30 percent of undergraduate tuition funds their financial aid."

Piper says that the largest part of the budget "goes to compensation. It's about 60 percent of it. The second biggest thing would probably be student financial aid."

"We wanted to increase student financial aid, and so it turned out that practically all the tuition increase [of 2002-2003] went to financial aid, but at the same time we needed to raise wages and we had to go in and find those dollars elsewhere and cut some things out."

As Piper explained the process, each division head, vice president went back to their area and found things that could be cut. "Then we all come together and decide which of the ones we're going to have to do. It's not a pleasant process at all."

As for areas that recent tuition increases have funded, Beryl Brubaker believes that "technology is a big one, both for hardware/software and personnel. We had almost nothing in 1994 and now we have a staff of 14." EMU tries to increase salaries a bit each year to keep up with trends in the groups they use as benchmarks, she says. "Our faculty and high-level administration salaries remain low in relation to most of the world we compete with."

EMU students may be interested in knowing that they do have a voice of input into the workings of the budget. Brubaker stated that the "SGA co-presidents and a seminary representative sit on a strategic planning council where we get feedback on tentative plans." Students who want to have input into the process should contact an SGA senator with their concerns.