Students and their families usually encounter college prices one year at a time, which limits their ability to plan out how to pay for an entire degree. Dozens of colleges offer tuition guarantees, which typically lock in the rate students face as freshmen for four years. A handful of colleges have gone further in their efforts to provide a comprehensive look at what families will have to cover. Here are four examples:
One university’s unconventional experiment has yielded encouraging results. So how come other colleges don’t seem eager to try it?
Miami University: The public institution in Oxford, Ohio, began locking in tuition, fees, and room and board charges for four years in 2016. The university will also hold its financial aid — need- and merit-based — steady.
Ohio University: Since 2015, the public university in Athens has locked in tuition and room and board and has gotten rid of fees except for those students pay for high-cost special programs, like aviation and study abroad. The university will also hold its financial aid — need- and merit-based — steady, so long as students meet renewal criteria.
University of Dayton: The private institution locks in the net tuition students pay after grants and scholarships for four years, and has gotten rid of fees. Incoming students are given projections of room-and-board costs, which vary based on their choices. The university also provides a book scholarship to students who apply for financial aid and visit the campus.
Beckie Supiano writes about college affordability, the job market for new graduates, and professional schools, among other things. Follow her on Twitter @becksup, or drop her a line at beckie.supiano@chronicle.com.
