Rowan University cuts undergraduate tuition and fees 10 percent

Seeing the impact the pandemic was having on Rowan University students’ finances, its Board of Trustees today passed a resolution reducing the tuition and fees for Academic Year 2020-2021 to $12,938, a 10% overall reduction and an approximate $1,438 savings this coming year for undergraduate students. 

“Amid the financial distress of the pandemic, many of our students and their families are facing significant hardship,” said Ali A. Houshmand, Rowan University president. “In response to the extraordinary economic impact, we are pleased to approve the 10% overall reduction in tuition and fees from what we had planned for undergraduate students for Academic Year 2020-2021.” 

In fall 2019, the Trustees approved a 2.25% increase in tuition and fees to $14,376 for AY 2020-2021. Today’s decision reduces tuition and fees for AY 2020-2021 to $12,938, an approximate $1,438 savings. The University will also reduce out-of-state undergraduate tuition and fees an equal dollar amount, from $23,408 to $21,970.

“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,” Houshmand added. “I deeply appreciate everyone’s sacrifice. It’s inspiring to see such commitment to our students in every area of the Rowan community.”

“Our Board is deeply committed to and actively involved with helping the University continue to provide a high-quality education at an affordable price,” said Chad Bruner, chairman of the Rowan University Board of Trustees. “The pandemic has provided the University quite a few challenges, but long-term planning has enabled Rowan to pivot and make the changes necessary to help students when they have the most need.”

Assisting Students

Rowan University has a strong record of keeping its education affordable. It has recently partnered with three community colleges (Rowan College of Burlington County, Rowan College of South Jersey - Gloucester and Cumberland campuses) to offer more affordable pathways to a Rowan University degree. It’s held tuition increases to under 2.5% for the past seven years. Since 2013, it has given $183 million in scholarships and waivers. And most recently, it’s in the process of awarding $7 million of CARES Act funding to students who have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

“Taking action continuously to make high-quality higher education more accessible and affordable isn’t always easy, but it is the right thing to do. We hope that our actions to reduce costs now will help our students and their families even more,” said Houshmand.