QUESTION #15: BY RAISING TUITION, ISN'T GRINNELL ABANDONING ITS IMAGE AS THE "BEST BUY" AMONG HIGHLY-SELECTIVE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES?
The College never adopted a strategy of being a "best buy." Nor did the Budget Steering Committee discuss tuition in the context of being a "best buy." The goal was to balance our budget. We could have recommended reducing tuition and reducing budgets accordingly, but we believe that the quality of a Grinnell education would have suffered as a consequence.
We recognize that, notwithstanding significant increases in Grinnell College-awarded scholarships and grants (discussed in greater detail in Question #17), the cost burden for many students and their families has risen. We are paying close attention to this.
All of this said, even full-pay students only pay approximately half of the cost of a Grinnell education. (See the revenue pie chart in Question #2 for more on this.)
