Tusculum College announces less than three percent tuition increase for 2003-04

As state colleges and universities in Tennessee announce double-digit tuition hikes in light of state budget constraints, Tennessee's oldest institution of higher learning, Tusculum College, a private, Presbyterian-affiliated college at Greeneville, has announced that its tuition increase for the 2003-2004 academic year will be at less than three percent.

Tusculum College Vice President for Enrollment Management George Wolf said that Tusculum has experienced record-breaking growth in enrollment during the same period that state colleges and universities have struggled with tightening state budgets. Tusculum College has seen enrollment of traditional-aged students increase from 495 to more than 850 in three years, Wolf noted. He stated further that a wide range of tuition aid options exist that can substantially reduce the cost of a Tusculum College private college education for many students.

"This will be the third fall in a row that Tusculum College will be at capacity," Wolf said. "One of the reasons for this is that we have made a serious effort to keep tuition increases reasonable."

Though private colleges and universities typically have higher tuition fees than their state-run counterparts, the availability of a wide range of financial aid at Tusculum College helps bring a private Tusculum education within the reach of students from very diverse personal and economic backgrounds, Wolf said. Aid is available based on need, strong academic performance, athletic achievement, and other performance-based criteria, he noted.

During the upcoming 2003-2004 academic year, the basic residential college tuition and fees cost at Tusculum College will be $14,110 for 12 to 16 semester hours, up from $13,700 during the 2002-2003 academic year. Financial aid packages can significantly reduce actual costs to qualifying students, however, Wolf said.

Tusculum College continues to progress toward its strategic goal of 1,000 traditional-aged students enrolled on the Greeneville campus by the fall of 2005, Wolf said. This fall, the college anticipates 870 students in the traditional program, which at Tusculum is called the Residential College, though it includes commuter students as well as those who live in campus housing. In fall of 2002, 795 residential college students were enrolled, Wolf said.

There are more campus housing options available today at Tusculum College than two years ago due to the addition of four apartment-styled residence halls that opened for occupancy at the start of the 2002-2003 academic year. Those residence halls increased Tusculum College's on-campus resident student capacity by up to 192 students. Those new residence halls are just one part of a significant burst of physical plant improvements at Tusculum in recent years.

Also built in the past two years was a new Knoxville regional center for the Graduate and Professional Studies program, which offers working adults an opportunity to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees on a schedule designed to integrate easily with work schedules.

At present, preliminary work is under way on a major library expansion and renovation on the Greeneville campus. The renovation will nearly triple the size of the main campus library and be designed to harmonize architecturally with existing campus buildings, including several listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wolf said that Tusculum College is "encouraged that the state is making additional investment in education through lottery proceeds, and is pleased the governor and legislature appreciate both private and public school opportunities for students and have supported both of them.

"It's great to see that our elected leaders see all the opportunities that the state's fine public and private institutions offer," he said.

Private colleges in general can often offer excellent and affordable opportunities to students who may believe that private education is beyond reach, Wolf said.

More information about Tusculum College is available by calling the college toll-free at 1-0800-729-0256. For those specifically interested in the Graduate and Professional Studies program, information is available at 1-800-729-0116. Also, visitors to the campus are welcome, and prospective students are invited to arrange for a guided campus tour.