FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  |  Oct. 26, 2015

Chambersburg, Pa. — Again reaffirming its commitment to college affordability and value, the Wilson College Board of Trustees voted this past weekend to hold the line on tuition for traditional undergraduate students for 2016-17.

The board agreed to the recommendation from President Barbara K. Mistick to hold tuition at the 2015-16 rate of $23,745 for the next academic year, making it the sixth consecutive year that Wilson has either held the line or reduced tuition for traditional undergraduates.

“It is critical for Wilson to do all we can to help reduce costs for our families,” said Mistick. “The expansion of our enrollment and success of the Wilson Today plan allow us hold tuition in check, which helps keep student debt levels down as well.”

Along with the tuition freeze, the board held the housing fee steady while approving modest increases in fees for meal plans and technology of 5 and 10 percent, respectively, to cover direct increases in the college’s cost of providing the services. The overall result is that full-time, residential Wilson students will pay just $365 more – 0.88 percent – next year for tuition and fees, for a total of $35,620.

Tuition for other students – including students enrolled in the adult degree and teacher intern programs, as well as graduate students – will increase between 3 and 6 percent beginning in fall 2016.

After three years with no tuition increases for traditional undergraduate students, the college reduced its tuition for those students by $5,000, or 17 percent, for the 2014-15 academic year as part of the Wilson Today plan, which also includes the creation of a student debt buyback program that became available to qualified first-year students who enrolled beginning in fall 2014. The tuition reduction was followed by a freeze for traditional undergraduates for 2015-16 and now, again for 2016-17.

Prospective students and their families have responded enthusiastically to Wilson’s “value plan” – tuition affordability and the debt buyback program – according to the college’s admissions office. That is borne out by the increasing number of students enrolling at Wilson. This fall, Wilson’s overall enrollment increased by more than 21 percent over fall 2014, with a 15 percent increase in new students and the largest traditional, undergraduate enrollment since 1973.

Wilson’s commitment to affordability is being recognized in other ways: The college was ranked a leader among colleges offering quality academic programs at an affordable price, according to the 2016 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. U.S. News placed Wilson fifth in the “best value” category for regional colleges in the North, listing the percent of Wilson students receiving need-based grants at 89.3 percent and placing the average cost of attending the college – after need-based grants (or scholarships) are factored in – at $19,952 a year.

In addition to the “best value” recognition from U.S. News, Wilson was also recently named a “tuition hero,” a designation given by the group of the same name that tracks higher education tuition rates. Any institution with a four-year compound annual tuition growth rate of 2.5% or less receives the designation.

Wilson’s continued enrollment increases stand in contrast to national enrollment trends. Based on the most recent data available, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported a decline of 1.3 percent in higher education enrollment nationally for 2014, while showing a modest 1.6 percent increase at four-year, private colleges. Since 2013, Wilson has seen a 28.8 percent increase in traditional undergraduate enrollment, with a 39.4 percent increase overall.

In January 2013, the Board of Trustees approved the Wilson Today plan – a set of initiatives to ensure that the college remains a thriving institution well into the future. The five-part plan includes the 2014-15 tuition reduction and student debt buyback program, infrastructure improvements, coeducation, improved marketing and new academic programs. Undergraduate programs recently introduced at Wilson include nursing, animal studies, health sciences and special education.

MEDIA CONTACT:           
Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations
Phone: 717-262-2604
Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu

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Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 29 majors and master’s degrees in education, the humanities, accountancy, nursing, fine arts and healthcare management for sustainability. Wilson is committed to providing an affordable education that offers value to its students beyond graduation.

Located in Chambersburg, Pa., the college has a fall 2015 enrollment of 923, which includes students from 22 states and 16 countries. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.