Three-quarters of Philadelphia-area colleges raised the cost of attendance during the pandemic, data shows

Nearly three-quarters of colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area raised the cost of tuition, fees or room and board last fall, the Philadelphia Business Journal has reported. Nationally, about 77 percent raised the cost for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

Among the Philadelphia-area schools that had price increases, costs rose about 3% on average, the publication found.

"Rowan, rather than freezing tuition and fees at 2019 levels, opted to cut tuition and fees by 10% of the in-state rate for all students," the publication reported. "University officials said the discount would offer greater savings to students and their families, about $1,400 for the year for undergraduate students. 

'The University was able to provide this added support through broad cost-reduction initiatives, but more importantly, through people rethinking how we best serve our students, taking on more responsibility and, frankly, doing even more with even less,' Rowan President Ali Houshmand said last July."

Read the full report here.