The Trustees acknowledged that to do so, ongoing innovations and improvements must be supported. Therefore, they voted to increase tuition by 6.5 percent to $34,500 for the 2012-2013 academic year. Overall financial aid also will increase by 6.5 percent. Even with the increase, TCU will remain a great investment in private higher education.
“Our students desire a high quality educational experience that includes a personalized setting with a low student-to-faculty ratio, facilities equipped with cutting edge technology and an exceptional on-campus living environment,” said Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. “At the same time, we also know our students require support to obtain a TCU degree. That’s why we’re increasing overall financial aid by 6.5 percent and are continuing to focus on raising $100 million in endowed scholarships.”
Over five years overall undergraduate financial aid has been increased by some 60 percent. Through The Campaign for TCU the University is raising $100 million for scholarships, $90 million of which already has been contributed toward this total.
The tuition increase will provide TCU with the opportunity to continue investing in key areas such as:
- Faculty: Added 17 new faculty positions this year, resulting in 127 new faculty hired over the past six years. The increase will help TCU maintain its low 13:1 faculty-to-student ratio and sustain the personalized TCU experience.
- Student services: Added staff positions in Career Services, the Health and Counseling Center, Campus Life and Academic Support.
- Resources: Provided additional funding for the library and technology resources to improve technology. TCU also continues to enhance and update facilities. The University recently opened the newly renovated Erma Lowe Hall, which houses the School of Classical & Contemporary Dance; updated all of its chemistry labs; and will build two new residence halls to help meet student demand for on-campus housing. The University also announced improvements to the east side of Amon G. Carter Stadium, which was paid for predominantly from donor funds and some athletic revenue. TCU also has made major investments in Career Services, including adding four new staff members this year, bringing the total to 18 staff members. Career Services also is increasing contacts with employers — a total of more than 1,000 with more than 300 recruiting on campus during fall semester alone.
In other business, the Trustees also voted to approve an expansion of the home football locker room and to improve the Charlie and Marie Lupton Baseball Stadium, all of which also will be donor funded.
Additionally, the Trustees reviewed the sophomore housing project, which will add two new residence halls in the Worth Hills area to house 400 students.
The Chancellor also reported that TCU has partnered with former Mexican President Vicente Fox to host The Vicente Fox Forum of World Leaders at TCU starting this month. The forum will host world leaders and focus on facilitating connections between the former leaders and college and high school students to encourage leadership development among youth. Two new Trustees – J. Bryan King and Nancy Tartaglino Richards were also acknowledged at the meeting. In other action, the Board approved the granting of tenure to Qiao Zhang (mathematics), backdated to June 1, 2011.
TCU’s official class numbers for the 2011-12 academic year are 8,229 undergraduates and 1,289 graduate students for a total of 9,518 students. The Board of Trustees will hold its next meeting April 11-13, 2012.