Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Cooper Union Trustees Vote to Impose $19,000 Tuition |

Cooper Union Trustees Vote to Impose $19,000 Tuition |:


Cooper Union Trustees Vote to Impose $19,000 Tuition

At a public meeting that began just moments ago, Cooper Union board of trustees chair Mark Epstein announced that the prestigious college, which has been tuition-free for undergraduates for well over a century, will begin charging new students annual tuition of more than $19,000 in the fall of 2014.
The tuition charge will replace the college’s longstanding automatic 100% scholarships for all students with a new 50% scholarship. Since the college’s  official tuition rate is $19,275 a semester for 2012-13, new students can expect to be charged at least that much beginning next year.
According to tweets from meeting attendees with the Cooper Union Task Force and Free Cooper Union, the board considered a 75% scholarship rate, which would have put annual fees under $10,000, but concluded that it wouldn’t bring in enough revenue. The college expects the 50% scholarship to remain in place for “the next few years” at least.
Asked whether the base tuition rate was likely to increase over time, Epstein said it probably would.
Financial aid will be made available, according to Epstein, and admissions will remain need-blind.
More soon.
12:30 Update | Today’s meeting was announced with just six hours notice. Epstein says the board’s decision to