Western Tuition to Remain the Same

Western Colorado University students will not see an increase to their tuition next year. Western’s Board of Trustees on Wednesday, March 10, voted to approve tuition for the upcoming academic year with no increase. Other costs will remain at a relatively flat level. Mandatory fees will increase modestly—by less than 1%—and room and board will see a slight increase of 2.5%.

Supporting Students and Families

The commitment to maintain Western’s affordability comes amid a pandemic that has further put financial burdens upon students and their families.

“The Board of Trustees believes keeping the cost of attendance low is more important than ever right now,” said board chair Chris Blees. “As Colorado recovers from the pandemic, many families are already economically stretched. We hope keeping costs low will expand access to Western’s valuable education for even more students.”

Consideration for Scholarships and Financial Aid

Tuition for the 2021-2022 school year is set at $6,816 for in-state students and $18,600 for nonresidents. All students will see a $17 (0.04%) increase in mandatory fees and a $116 increase in room and board costs (2.5%), which is still below the state average.

Immediately upon acceptance at Western, students are considered for scholarship opportunities making the net cost to attend the institution competitive with peer institutions. Nearly 80% of Western students receive some form of financial aid. Western continues to offer rigorous curriculum, small classroom sizes and personal attention at an affordable price. In fact, in-state students graduate with about half the national average debt.

Providing More Assistance

Still, now more than ever, Western’s board saw the need to support students as they face the many financial challenges imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. Keeping the cost of tuition level adds to other ways Western has sought to provide assistance to students, such as tuition rebates this spring, facilitating federal aid and establishing a specific scholarship fund. More than $600,000 was raised for the Student First Scholarship, aiding those impacted by COVID-19.