Aware of the financial challenges the past year has presented to many families and individuals, Cazenovia College is increasing its commitment to affordability and educational access by freezing the cost of tuition, room, and board and additionally boosting the amount of merit scholarship money available to incoming freshmen and transfer students for the coming academic year.
The College determined at its recent Board of Trustees meeting to freeze the costs of tuition, room and board at the current year’s levels, said College President Ron Chesbrough. In addition, the College is increasing merit aid awards to a maximum of $31,000 annually for all freshmen starting fall 2021, regardless of family income or state residency, he said.
“We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many economic hardships. Some families and individuals are experiencing additional expenses or situations where a parent or guardian may be unemployed, working less, or have reduced wages. We know that these economic conditions are likely to affect household finances for years to come. The increased levels of merit aid, coupled with the cap on tuition and attendance costs for the 2021-2022 academic year, underscore the College’s commitment that our community-focused institution is truly accessible to all qualified students,” President Chesbrough said. “These twin decisions re-emphasize that promise. We believe the cap on tuition and costs for 2021-2022, coupled with the boost in merit aid amounts, will help many students and their families obtain and maintain the kind of high-quality, personalized education Cazenovia College is known for, especially in these challenging times,” Chesbrough added.
Between the new level of merit aid possible and the freeze on tuition, room and board charges, the total cost of a Cazenovia College education is reduced by as much as 60 percent on average. At the maximum amount, and combined with federal and state aid, the scholarship lowers the average cost of attendance to well under $20,000 per year (including tuition, room, board and fees).
The amount of aid awarded annually ranges from $22,000 and $31,000 per year for first-year students, and $15,000 to $22,000 for transfer students. The maximum amount available is a boost of $6,000 per year over last year’s level, which had a range of $15,000 to $25,000 annually.
The scholarships are available to all accepted students regardless of family income or their state of residence. Merit aid is awarded each year for all four years of a student’s education as long as satisfactory academic progress is made towards a degree.
Cazenovia College was just ranked the #2 “Best Value” college in the North Region by U.S. News & World Report and was named among the top undergraduate regional colleges for the 17th consecutive year. The College also has been recognized by Money and Washington Monthly as a best value institution.
The College offers over 35 undergraduate programs in four academic divisions: Art and Design; Business Management; Humanities and Natural Sciences; Social and Behavior Sciences. A graduate program is available in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Distance-learning courses and programs for commuting students and adult and continuing education students also are available. Students enjoy a 12:1 faculty-to-student ratio, an average class size of 13, and a success ratio where 93 percent of recent graduates are employed or in graduate school within six months. Approximately 98 per cent of students receive financial aid.
More information is available by contacting Admissions and Financial Aid at (315) 655-7208 or admissions@cazenovia.edu; or the Enrollment Services Center at (315) 655-7888.