Wilson College keeps tuition and housing costs down. Whereas most colleges have increased tuition by more than 25% over the last decade, Wilson has decreased its tuition by 12% over the same period. The college is committed to providing a superior education at a very reasonable cost and giving access to a quality, private college education to students from all backgrounds.

In a letter to the Wilson community, college president Wesley R. Fugate, Ph.D., announced that tuition and housing costs would not increase for the 2021-2022 academic year and would remain at the current affordable levels for traditional undergraduate students.

Dear Wilson College Students and Families,

Wilson College, since its founding, has been a place of access. Today, one way we continue that tradition of providing access to higher education is by keeping the education we offer affordable. With this in mind, I am pleased to share with you that the Wilson College Board of Trustees has voted and approved tuition, room, board, and fees for the upcoming 2021-2022 academic year. Both full-time traditional student tuition and housing costs were held at the 2020-2021 academic year levels, with no increase. Board saw a modest 2% increase, year over year, and the comprehensive fee increased by $110.

While media reports cite an over 25% increase in tuition at colleges and universities nationally over the past decade, Wilson College’s commitment to affordability has led us to actually decrease tuition by over 12% percent during that time. In those ten years, we have only increased tuition two times, and, in fact, in one of those years, we cut tuition by over 17%. Tuition today is nearly the same price it was 14 years ago, and tuition, room, and board remain cheaper than it was in the 2010-2011 academic year. 

Our Board of Trustees, like our founders, believe our toppriority is to offer all students a quality education rooted in the liberal arts at an affordable price, regardless of their background or socioeconomic level. That is why, especially in light of the economic impacts so many are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains so important for us to keep our cost to students affordable.

Preparing for and adapting to the pandemic, including the many changes required for teaching and the care of our students, havenot been easy, nor inexpensive. We simply could not have anticipated the overall expense of the COVID-19 challenges when planning our operational budget. But like with other hurdles, the College has risen to the occasion. History certainly has shown that when things get tough, we Phoenix come together and overcome.

That is why we have strategically used state and federal funding to help our students with the greatest financial need and preserve as many faculty and staff jobs as possible, albeit with pay reductions. We have tightened our spending and eliminated non-essential expenditures. Our judicious stewardship of the budget in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 has allowed us to impact overall costs to students and families as little as possible.

Even in the midst of these challenging times, our faculty have been hard at work finding ways to adapt to the needs of today’s students. They have launched three new undergraduate programs in finance, sport management, and criminal justice, and soon we will be announcing three additional new undergraduate majors and one new graduate program. We seek to provide the very best preparation for our students to not only enter into a successful career or graduate study but to make a difference in their communities. We are excited about the role these programs will play in helping our graduates do just that.

This past semester has been a time of adapting and learning, of empathizing and understanding. We have learned a great deal and plan to implement those best practices for even greater success in the spring. I know we can overcome the challenges the pandemic presents if we stay committed to the Wilson family, if we stay as #OneWilson. On behalf of the Wilson College Board of Trustees, our faculty, staff, and administrative leadership, thank you for your support of this great institution and patience as we look forward to a brighter day.

I look forward to seeing you on campus this spring.

Sincerely,

Wesley R. Fugate, Ph.D.

President