This past Thursday, WashU provost Beverly Wendland emailed out a letter (see below image) announcing increases in tuition, room, board, and other fees (such as WashU healthcare). This letter has been very controversial as it signals a further increase in WashU’s tuition and other costs for students.
As has been pointed out by StudentLife, the tuition increase, which is by 4.5%, is the greatest tuition increase by the university in the previous ten years. In terms of dollars, this increase represents an increase of $2,750 to $64,500. This is considerably more than Missouri’s income per capita of 56,551 in 2022. WashU will consider need-based financial assistance when considering individual cost increases.
This increase comes on the backdrop of widespread inflation since COVID, with the Consumer Price Index rising by 6.5% in 2022, followed by 3.4% in 2023, both of which are considerably higher than the Federal Reserve’s yearly inflation target of 2%. As the prices are cumulative, even a year-on-year decline in inflation still results in increased prices and an increased cost of living. It is probable that WashU’s increase of tuition by 4.5% this year, on top of a 4.0% increase last year, is merely reflecting the increased costs of operating the university.