28 / 60
24 / ’southern
returning student will have to pay a higher net cost next year.
There may be slight differences for those students selecting more
expensive housing options, and a small number of students will
end up paying less than they currently do because their funds
from outside scholarships or aid will remain the same even as
tuition drops.
Prospective students who intend to enroll for fall 2018 will see
a more transparent published price that better re ects the actual
cost for most BSC students before federal and state nancial
aid is awarded. And BSC will have one of the most affordable
published prices of all the South’s prestigious colleges and
universities.
Expected enrollment outcomes
By eliminating sticker shock, the tuition reset should have
cascading effects: More prospective students will consider BSC
because fewer will turn away based solely on published price. As
more students consider BSC, more will see the tremendous value
of a Birmingham-Southern education and will apply.
As more students apply, more will receive a nancial aid offer
that speci es their actual cost. And as more students see they can
afford the small-college teaching and support that the Hilltop
provides, greater numbers will enroll.
“Ultimately, our objective is to encourage more prospective
students from all family income levels to discover the actual
cost—not to mention the true value—of a BSC education,” said
Flaherty-Goldsmith.
The reset represents a shift from the prevailing “high tuition,
high discount” model to a lower, more transparent tuition
price. Opening the doors to more students ideally will increase
enrollment and allow BSC to continue to grow. Either way, the
college will not limit educational offerings or scale back in any
way to implement this groundbreaking reset.
In fact, the college is in an accelerated effort to expand
programs and has launched new options for students’ pre-
professional development within the liberal arts and sciences.
New offerings include majors in architectural studies, creative
and applied computing, health sciences, and a combined major
in philosophy, history, and law, as well as distinctions in poverty
studies and public health.
The college will continue to rely on the generosity of donors
and the continued strength of the three-year
Bridge to the Future
initiative to help provide funds for student scholarships, support
faculty, and continuously improve the campus and curriculum.
Right now, a number of changes are happening on campus,
including residence hall renovations, new cafeteria service, and
an overhaul of the Norton Campus Center, the center of student
life (see more details on page 5).
The value of responsiveness
And so BSC has heeded the call for affordable college pricing.
“Even as we reset our published price of tuition and fees to
half of what is has been, we will continue to not just offer the
same life-changing educational experience that BSC has always
provided, but continue to improve it,” Flaherty-Goldsmith
said. “The difference is that now more families will see our
commitment to ensuring that all worthy students can access the
value of a BSC education.”
“By smashing through the perceived price barrier, BSC will
become a pioneer in meeting families’ needs,” she added.
Perhaps it’s not a surprise, coming from a college that has always
put personal relationships with its students and families rst.
“When it comes right down to it, our tuition reset is a matter of
listening to what the marketplace has been telling us and being
bold enough to respond,” she said.
FEATURES
Resetting tuition back to 2002 levels