By Caleb Nesbit
During their Oct. 31 meeting, the Bluffton University Board of Trustees approved a 3 percent increase for tuition, room and board for the 2019-20 academic year.
“There was much thoughtful and reflective discussion around tuition, room and board increases,” said Tricia Bell, content manager for the university. “Next year’s tuition price will be $33,286, which is a total tuition increase of $970 for the next academic year.”
Sophomore physics and chemistry major Sydney Cobb said she is unhappy about the increase.
“I already pay enough. I’m mad about it, and I would like to know why they are demanding more money from me because college is expensive, and I’m broke,” Cobb said.
Kevin Nickel, vice president of fiscal affairs, said the Board of Trustees are mindful of the impact of tuition increases have on students and families when they set the following year’s tuition at their annual fall meeting.
“As a university, we work hard to manage the costs of operations. Each year the costs of living go up, and we have minimal control over insurance and utility rates,” said Nickel. “Bluffton does provide more than 50 percent of tuition back to students in the form of financial aid and scholarships, so the increase is actually closer to 1.5 percent on average.”
The board also approved four new endowed scholarships and gave the go-ahead for next steps for the Austin E. Knowlton Science Center, including the demolition of Lincoln Hall in late December, during the Oct. 31 meeting.
Three new members of the Board of Trustees were welcomed to their first meeting: Hannah Heinzekehr, communications program director for the Kroc Institute of International Peace Studies at Notre Dame, Joe Recker, office manager at Hortsman and Klir Medical, Inc. and Luke Shipp, vice president for commercial lines at First Insurance Group. All three are set to serve a four-year term on the board from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2022.
Dr. Will Slater was granted professor emeritus status by the board, meaning he will be able to keep his status as a professor of psychology. He retired over the summer after teaching at Bluffton University for 25 years.
