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‘Rising costs are a consistent barrier’: Seattle Pacific University lowers tuition by 25%

SEATTLE — Seattle Pacific University announced Tuesday that beginning next fall, they will reduce the undergraduate tuition rate by 25%.

The university also has pledged to cap tuition rate increases to no more than 4% annually in an effort to attract more students.

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University officials said they plan to offer “substantive” scholarships that address financial needs, faith and academic merit.

“We are proud to be able to offer this now, particularly in a time in our nation when many families are facing increased financial pressures and economic uncertainty,” said SPU President Dan Martin. “Our Board of Trustees encouraged us to give students and their families greater opportunities to enroll at SPU and meet their educational dreams.”

The university said their initiative is also designed to help students better navigate and budget for a college education.

The current tuition at SPU for undergraduate students is $46,728 per year.

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Students who apply for the 2021 Autumn quarter will now pay $35,100, the university said. The tuition cut comes before financial aid and university officials say about 95% of students at SPU receive some sort of financial aid.

“We know from our own research that rising costs are a consistent barrier to students accessing the college of their choice,” SPU’s Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing Nate Mouttet said. “And we also know that future students see tuition as a barrier to consideration of private colleges in general, and Christian colleges specifically, and often don’t make it through the financial aid process.”

University officials said current students will also benefit from the initiative for their remaining years at SPU and all students, including seniors, will receive one free course (up to five credits) after graduation.

The university said the imitative will not impact current expenses due to “careful budget stewardship,” a strong student retention rate and meeting enrollment goals for the year.

“We want to ‘reimagine our price’ if you will, to provide access and opportunity to students who might not see attending a nationally ranked, private university as a possibility,” Martin said.

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