Roxanne Gasana, Campus Carrier staff writer

Students are getting upset as across the nation colleges tuition continues to rise. At Berry, the upcoming increase raises questions about affordability. Tuition will increase 4% and board will increase 3%.

Brian Erb, chief operating officer and vice president for finance, said that the decision-making process is similar to how a household might make their budget.

“When you think about a tuition increase, it’s like budgeting for your family,” Erb said. “We look at what we want to accomplish in the next year and what it will cost to maintain and improve those services.”

According to Erb, renovation of the campus, academic program initiatives and services for students are among the budget priorities. Current developments such as residence hall and facility upgrades, along with investments for classrooms and programs, all contribute to the total budget. 

Aside from these goals, inflation has been a contributing factor to the rising costs of operations.

“Doing the same things costs more,” Erb said. “Food is more expensive, electricity is more expensive and everything 
adds up.”

Assistant Vice President for Financial Services Brad Reeder said that tuition is decided by the collective input of the Budget Advisory Committee, which includes faculty, staff and students.

“We look at the college budget as a whole,” Reeder said. “Then we try to reach a balanced budget and discuss what the tuition increase should be.”

According to Erb, student representatives are also included on the budgeting committee, although the entire budget is not published for the public population to view.

Reeder said that administrators take into account many different scenarios before coming up with the final tuition amount.

“We look at both extremes and ask ourselves what a 10% or 20% increase would look like and what a 0% increase would look like,” he said. “Then we consider how those options would impact students and the college.”

Even though the tuition increase appears large, the listed tuition doesn’t represent what most students end up paying, according to Erb and Reeder. Financial aid pays for a large portion of most students’ tuition.

“The difference between the sticker price and what students pay is financial aid,” Erb said.

Net tuition, which is the amount students actually pay after aid, covers about 28% of the cost of running the college.

“That’s rare, especially for a school of our size,” Reeder said. “We’re fortunate to have an endowment and donor support.”

As a result, tuition funds are distributed widely across various areas rather than financing one program. A significant portion is allocated for staff salaries and benefits, with the remainder being spent on campus infrastructure, utilities and campus departments.

The Budget Advisory Committee discussed alternatives to raising tuition, but administrators did not want to cut back 
on services.

“You can either raise revenue or cut services,” Erb said. “And cutting services usually impacts the student experience.”

Rising tuition rates often cause students to fear being unable to afford education, even when grants and financial aid help cover some of the expenses.

To students, the tuition increase is less of a surprise and more of a worry. Junior Victoria Mannino expressed concern for increased financial burden.

“It will affect my parents and I as we pay for my last year,” Mannino said. “If you’re thinking about coming to Berry and you’re in a financial situation, this is definitely an important factor.”

Mannino said that as tuition costs rise, colleges should provide more financial scholarships for
 incoming students.

“As a first-gen student, there should be a little more support because there are really great opportunities here.” Mannino said.

Reeder explained that financial aid changes accordingly when tuition goes up to mitigate negative impacts on students. Data he provided showed that while sticker prices have increased over time, the actual amount students pay has remained stable due to expanded financial aid.

Net tuition revenue from fees have not grown significantly since 2016, going up by only $400,000 over the last ten years.

Erb encouraged students that have trouble affording tuition to seek assistance and support from resources available
on campus like the Office of Financial Aid and department scholarships.

“Our financial aid office is there to help,” Erb said. “We try to find ways to make it possible for every student to be here.”