The Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — approved a 2.85% increase in undergraduate tuition for the 2022-23 academic year at its February meetings, according to a University press release. The tuition increase matches last year's for the lowest in the last decade.
Undergraduate tuition will increase from $60,944 to $62,680. Tuition for most doctoral and master’s programs will also increase by 2.85% to $7,835 per course, while medical school tuition will increase by 1.75% to $67,268.
“Brown made a commitment, a number of years ago, to try to slow down the growth of tuition and fees as a part of our efforts to become more accessible,” Provost Richard Locke P’18 said. “We’re trying to think about how we balance the revenue we need … while at the same time making sure we’re not becoming too expensive.”
The increase in tuition was recommended by the University Resources Committee, which is led by Locke and is comprised of students, faculty and administrators, according to a Today@Brown letter from President Christina Paxson P’19. The URC will continue planning in the coming months and will present its recommended fiscal year 2023 budget at the May Corporation meeting, which will include the financial aid budget.
Paxson wrote in the letter that “the Corporation weighed increases to tuition and fees within the context of the University’s announcement in October that Brown will significantly increase scholarships for moderate-income students, reduce the summer earnings expectation for our highest-need students and move toward need-blind admissions for international students over the next several years.”
The Corporation also approved a salary pool for faculty and staff of 4.25%, the largest increase in more than a decade, according to the press release. The salary pool is the total increase in faculty and staff salaries, and is distributed based on performance evaluations. The pool also funds promotions, equity adjustments and retention, the release said.
Additionally, about 4,600 University employees will receive a one-time bonus ranging from $2,000 to $4,500 “in recognition of the shared extraordinary efforts of Brown faculty and staff,” Paxson wrote in the letter.
“Tight labor markets and increased opportunities for remote and hybrid work have made recruitment and retention more challenging and has resulted in increased voluntary staff turnover across the country, including here at Brown,” Paxson wrote in the letter. “This increase is also an acknowledgment of the incredible commitment our community has had to this institution throughout the pandemic.”
Charlie Clynes is the managing editor of digital content on The Herald's 134th Editorial Board. Previously, he covered University Hall and the Graduate Labor Organization as a University News editor.
