College price tag hits $49,210 Comprehensive fee sees 4.9 percent hike for 2008-09

Author: Kathryn Flagg

MARCH 27 - Mandatory student fees will total $49,210 for the 2008-2009 academic year, according to a letter sent to parents mid-week. The updated comprehensive fee represents a 4.9 percent hike over this year's price tag for a Middlebury education - an increase lower than last year's 5.25 percent jump, representing, according to President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz, a deliberate choice on the College's part to check rising costs.

"We are trying to control costs to the best of our abilities given the environment we're in," Liebowitz said in an interview with The Middlebury Campus.

The approved increase is slightly lower than the 4.97 percent increase recommended to the Board of Trustees by the Student Government Association's (SGA) Comprehensive Fee Committee.

"The Comp Fee Committee did a great job balancing the student demand for additional services (which, obviously, requires more money) with the desire to keep the fee under the dreaded 50k," wrote SGA President Max Nardini in an e-mail. He continued, "Of course, no matter how you slice it, college is just too expensive."

While the actual cost to educate a student is over $70,000, according to Liebowitz, revenue from the endowment and gifts from outside donors to the annual fund defray these costs slightly. Still, in his letter to parents, Liebowitz acknowledged that the cost of a Middlebury education is "an extraordinary investment for most families."

Without a change in both the revenue stream and what Liebowitz termed "wholesale expectations on the part of parents and students," however, Liebowitz predicted that the community would not see any significant change in the annual percentage hike in the near future.

In speaking with students, Liebowitz said, he frequently hears requests for services and amenities - ranging from more juice in the dining halls to smaller class sizes - that require additional capital.

"All those requests are legitimate," he said. "They all speak towards bettering the Middlebury experience. But they don't come cost-free."

The College remains committed, according to Liebowitz, to supporting students and their families financially, and intends to unveil updates to the institution's financial aid policies in the coming weeks.




Look for complete coverage of the College's comprehensive fee - including reactions from students and members of the Student Government Association's Comprehensive Fee Committee - online and in the April 10 issue of The Campus.