Hobart and William Smith Colleges

25 March 1999 Colleges Announce 1999-2000 Tuition; Overall Fee Increase Lowest in 25 Years

Geneva, NY Richard H. Hersh, president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, recently announced that tuition for the 1999-2000 academic year will be $23,865. The comprehensive fee (comprising tuition, room, board, and fees) will be $31,224, an increase of 3.24 percent over the current comprehensive fee. This increase is the lowest in 25 years for Hobart and William Smith.

In a letter to HWS students and their parents, Hersh noted that, while comparatively low, the comprehensive fee increase of 3.24 percent is nonetheless higher than projected annual increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The reason [for the higher comprehensive fee] is that our costs in higher education (computing and other technology, laboratory equipment and supplies, library resources, and health insurance, among others) continue to rise faster than the CPI, he wrote. The Colleges' trustees, faculty, and administration have worked diligently this year to minimize the increase in price while also bolstering financial aid where possible. Given the pressures on higher education, it can be a difficult task.