Students at Lander University won't see an increase in tuition and general fees for the 2020-21 academic year, following a unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees to keep those prices steady for the next term.
This marks the third consecutive year that Lander's tuition and general fees have remained flat. Full-time, in-state undergraduate tuition will remain at $5,350 per semester ($10,700 per year). Total full-time general fees, while some re-allocations were approved, will remain at $500 per semester ($1,000 per year). Trustees also approved special tuition rates for University Center of Greenville students, as well as for National Guard, active duty military, and military family students.
With the continuation of Lander's freeze on tuition and general fees for undergraduate and graduate students, the university remains one of the most affordable higher education options in South Carolina. Lander began the fall 2019 semester with its highest-ever total enrollment at 3,227 students, which represents a 5.6% increase over last year's enrollment and a 19% increase since 2015. The freshman class also broke records, at 943 students. This was the third consecutive year of record freshman enrollment, and is an approximately 8.4% increase over last year and 69% increase over the last four years.
"Our pricing strategy is one reason why our enrollment efforts have been so successful. Keeping a quality education affordable for our students is one of our highest priorities as Trustees, and we are pleased to be able to extend our tuition freeze another year," said Lander Trustees Chair Dr. Linda Dolny Lister. "By doing so, we are helping our students and their families better understand and plan for the cost of their college education."
Affordability is not just a goal for Lander's Trustees. Lander's faculty are also playing a major role in affordable learning initiatives, said President Richard Cosentino, and Lander faculty represent 51% of the state's PAL (Professor for Affordable Learning) Award recipients, according to PASCAL's South Carolina Affordable Learning Initiative (SCALE).
At their December meeting, Trustees also:
- Approved the financial audit report for FY2019, prepared by Clark Eustace Wagner, PA. The results of the audit were an unmodified "clean" opinion.
- Received an update from Dr. Stacie Bowie, Vice President for Finance and Administration, regarding the JEDA Lander RWS (Athletic Complex) Series 2009A bonds, which were refunded successfully and closed on October 18, 2019. The bonds were originally at 3.89% and the new ones were issued at 2.51% for the Series 2019A. The transaction saves just under $100,000 annually for the University and over $300,000 annually for the Foundation in debt service.
- Approved an increase in food service/meal plan rates for 2020-21. The increase - which varies in price according to a student's chosen meal plan - equals approximately 4% and reflects the market-rate increase recommended by Aramark, which is Lander's contracted food service provider. The new plans also add an additional $50-100 in "Bearcat Bucks," which are dollars that can be used like a debit purchase at dining locations across campus.
- Approved an increase to university housing rates for 2020-21, which varies from an additional $100-400 per semester according to residence hall and occupancy (double/single). The increase - the first the university has made to housing since fall of 2017 - was necessary to better align Lander's housing rates with current market value, as well as provide needed funding for critical maintenance and renovation of the university's residence halls, said Dr. Bowie. Lander kept a flat-rate housing option to promote affordability, giving students an opportunity for a flat tuition, general fees and housing rate for the next academic year.
- Approved several changes to Lander University's General Education curriculum, with the goal of making the transfer process from technical colleges to Lander University easier, according to Dr. Scott Jones, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. The updates will also increase flexibility for all students, potentially allowing Lander students to enhance their studies by adding a second major or second minor.
- Approved four new academic emphases: B.S., Business Administration-Sports Management; B.S., Business Administration-Hospitality Management; B.S., Business Administration-IT Management; and B.S. in History-Public History. These programs will now go before the Commission on Higher Education's Advisory Committee on Academic Programs (ACAP) in March 2020 for review and approval.
- Approved three new university policies: Relocation Reimbursement; CARE Team Intervention Authority; and University-Initiated Student Medical Leave.
- Received an update regarding Lander's current initiative to adjust faculty and staff salaries to better reflect national salary data. Minimum levels for all faculty ranks have been increased, and adjunct pay will be increasing in fall 2020. Dean compensation has been raised to better reflect market value. Targeted staff increases will also be implemented January 1, 2020, in departments where compensation and compression issues are most extreme.
- Learned that President Cosentino has been named chair of the SACSCOC Peer Review Advisory Board. He currently serves on the S.C. Department of Commerce's Coordinating Council on Workforce Development, and is Vice President of the Peach Belt Athletic Conference.
