The high cost of a college education has become part of
a national conversation. Last fall, President Obama took
the college affordability theme on the road during a two-
day bus tour. It wasn’t all that long ago that the Occupy
protesters staged their resistance to high college costs
and rising student debt on the sidewalks of Wall Street.
Unfortunately, sound bites on the evening news are
unable to explain or address the myriad complex issues
that influence college costs and have brought us to this
point. But, that does not diminish the fact that concerns
about college affordability are real and personal for
many families.
Cedarville and the College
Cost Conversation
First, you should know that Cedarville’s tuition rate is
$4,000
less than the current private college average. We
have been pursuing a long-term strategy to hold the
line on college costs while increasing our competitive
scholarships and grants. Institutional financial aid has
grown by more than 120 percent in the past five years,
and Cedarville’s net cost to students has increased less
than 1 percent (in total) since the 2008–09 academic year.
Continuing that priority, President Thomas White
announced early in his presidency that there would be
no tuition increase for the 2014–15 academic year. That is
the first time tuition has held steady since 1973! Even with
a small increase planned in room and board, Cedarville’s
rates remain among the very lowest of any private college
or university in the country.
But,
are we doing enough?
The Heart of the President
As I’ve engaged with our new President during the past
10 months, his priority on increasing affordability and
access is clear, and it is much less about economic factors
than it is about Kingdom considerations.
We believe Cedarville is equipping the next generation
of Christian leaders who will make a difference for Jesus
Christ around the world. A Cedarville education is
well worth the investment (our outcome data supports
that!), but it must also be affordable to students who
have a passion to advance the Gospel through their
professional calling. That is our driving priority, and it
raises important questions like:
How should we approach student debt?
Two-thirds
of Cedarville graduates walk across the stage at
commencement with student loans, averaging about
$22,000. (For perspective, the national benchmark is
closer to $27,000.) Our alumni are effectively managing
their debt, having one of the lowest default rates in
the nation (0.8 percent compared to nearly 10 percent
nationally). But, for our students who are preparing for
careers focused on service and ministry, even these debt
levels are too much and could keep them from pursuing
their calling. As an institution with an intentional
Christian mission, this should influence our approach
to student debt.
What should drive our pricing strategy?
In the purest
free market approach, Cedarville should charge as
much for tuition as a sufficient number of “customers”
are willing to pay. We have been blessed by many years
of growing enrollments, but we’ve also seen growing
competition for freshmen students. Some outstanding
students have pursued other college options simply
because of costs. But there are biblical principles that
should transcend a market-driven pricing approach. If
we are able to fill a class with only students from families
of means, we miss the opportunity to influence an entire
segment of outstanding Christian young people who
cannot afford a Cedarville education, but who would be
an ideal fit and offer much to our campus community.
No Quick or Easy Answers
I anticipate that President White will lead us forward
to wrestle with these important questions and seek
Kingdom-focused answers. In the end, we may all be a
part of the solution. For those of us on campus, we will
continue to be careful stewards of the resources God
provides to us and pursue new opportunities to grow and
build. For our friends and alumni who share Cedarville’s
vision for Christ-centered higher education, we will ask
you to walk alongside us and our students by providing
gifts and scholarships.
I wholeheartedly believe that God providentially
leads students to Cedarville, and He also provides the
resources they need to be here. I’m excited to be a part of
a conversation that will ensure that Cedarville can fulfill
its mission in the lives of students for years to come.
Janice (Warren) Supplee ’86
is Vice President for
Enrollment Management and Marketing and a member
of the American Marketing Association. She received
her M.B.A. from Wright State University and her Ph.D.
from the University of Nebraska. You may contact her at
Tuition With a Mission
by Janice (Warren) Supplee ’86
