Students and parents are going to have to dig deeper in their pockets with the rise of University tuition fees next semester.
Tuition fees have been increasing every year according to the St. John’s website, and no area of study was left untouched.
For the 2011-2012 academic year most students will be expected to pay $1,104 per credit. Tobin College of Business will be $1,151 for third and fourth year students. The School of Pharmacy will cost $1,264 after the second year, and the new fixed rate for incoming freshmen will be $1,189.
In 2009, most students paid $978 per credit. Tobin College of Business students paid $1,020, Pharmacy students paid $1,120 and the fixed rate tuition for incoming freshmen was $1,053. For the current year, tuition rose, and that seems to be the trend for next semester.
While the increase of $20 or $30 per credit may not seem like a huge imposition, students are seeing increases of hundreds of dollars to their tuition bills every semester, and close to $1,000 to their tuition every year.
Many students are infuriated not only with the rise of tuition costs, but also with the lack of communication from the University.
Terry Thompson, a sophomore, said the University never takes the students into consideration when making any decision.
“It’s been happening more than ever lately,” Thompson said. “Last year the University changed the schedules without our input, they had the audacity to attempt to change the graduation procedure without so much as a survey to the students and now they raise tuition, with no warnings and no explanations.”
Other students said they are well informed about the tuition prices, and it’s up to the students to keep up with the changes.
“We’re not babies,” said Michael Dorio, a junior. “The information is posted right on the St. John’s website. If students are really interested in the cost it’s just a click away.”
Cecilia Munoz, a freshman, said the University doesn’t inform the students each year about what changes to the tuition bill they will be seeing in the next coming semester.
“The University has sent me 75 emails regarding survey reviews for my classes,” she said. “Why can’t they take that approach to my tuition bill?”
A student at another institution said her school’s administration takes numerous steps to inform students on most of the decisions being made for the present and future.
Christine Pitti, a junior at Adelphi University on Long Island, said she can’t get her school to stop informing her about things.
“I’m glad that there is an open line of communication between me and the school, but I don’t need to know every little detail,” Pitti said. “But tuition fees and rises are something every student should be informed about at any University.”
Ioana Donose, a senior, said she and her family always knew the tuition would rise through the years.
“My family and I came to the University for a meeting and they gave us payment options right away,” she said. “I find it hard to believe that St. John’s went out of their way to explain these options to just me and my family.”
The University was not able to respond to a request for comment by deadline.
