Baylor Regents Announce Tuition, Fees For 2010-11

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Baylor University Board of Regents has announced tuition and fees for the 2010-11 academic year, keeping the university one of the best values in higher education while ensuring that the quality of a Baylor education remains high.

In total, a freshman entering Baylor in fall 2010 will pay 6.02 percent more combined in tuition, fees, room and board than a freshman entering this year. That is down from a 6.67 percent increase that went into effect in fall 2009.

Tuition for undergraduates in 2010-11 will increase by 6.5 percent to $26,966 for 12 hours or more. Tuition for graduate students in 2010-11 will increase by 6.54 percent. Tuition for Truett Seminary students will increase by 6.31 percent and Baylor Law School students by 6.51 percent. The general student fee will increase 6.49 percent to $2,758, and room and board rates for undergraduates will increase by 6.01 and 2.73 percent respectively.

Baylor's tuition is one of the lowest of any major private university in the Southwest, making Baylor one of the most affordable institutions in the nation. Baylor's tuition and required fees continue to remain lower than other comprehensive private institutions in Texas, including Rice, SMU, TCU, Trinity, Southwestern and Austin College and less than the non-resident cost at the University of Texas at Austin. Baylor's cost also remains well below those of most private universities outside of Texas, such as Duke, Tulane, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and Pepperdine.

Demand for the quality of a Baylor education has never been higher, as evidenced by a record number of applications - more than 31,000 - for fall 2009 and the highest enrollment - 14,614 students - in the university's history.

"It is clear that our quality, coupled with our affordability, make Baylor one of the best values in higher education today. The tuition increase will help provide the needed resources to maintain the level of quality our students deserve and have come to expect," said R. Dary Stone, chair of Baylor's Board of Regents. "We remain focused on being good stewards of the university's resources and sensitive to the effect of costs on families and students, while helping Baylor provide our students with the highest quality Christian education."

The tuition increase provides for critical new faculty and staff positions and allows the university to continue to attract and retain high quality faculty and staff. In addition, Stone said the university is mindful of current economic conditions and remains committed to ensuring access to a Baylor education for families and students who demonstrate financial need.

"No matter what students' financial backgrounds may be, Baylor is dedicated to helping them achieve their dreams of gaining a quality education," Stone said.

With financial aid packages that included scholarships, gifts, grants, federal and state loans and work-study, the university met, on average, more than 69 percent of the need of a student attending Baylor this year. The average Baylor award was more than $12,000 per student and the total average financial aid offered from all gift sources was $22,129.

Approximately 99 percent of enrolled freshmen who qualified for need-based financial assistance received some form of aid to attend Baylor, and the university provided, on average, 52 percent of their need in direct scholarships.

Additionally, Baylor's financial aid counselors assist students who have experienced major changes in family incomes, such as the loss of employment or a catastrophic illness. Baylor counselors stress the importance of bringing special circumstances to the attention of the financial aid office if those conditions are not reflected on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Counselors are able to assist students with identifying all conditions that might apply in computing need-based aid and in completing forms that can be filled out to be considered for aid adjustment.

Media contact: Lori Fogleman, director of media communications, (254) 710-6275