Butler to freeze tuition for first time in decades

Butler University is freezing its tuition rates for the first time since 1983, the school announced Thursday.

The school said it was enacting the freeze to “provide some stability to our students and their families during this very uncertain period.”

Current and incoming full-time undergraduate students will pay tuition of $42,410 for the 2021-2022 school year—the same amount as the current academic year.

Including other costs such as room and board, student fees, books and other expenses, the total cost of attendance for the upcoming school year will be around $62,710 for incoming students, a slight increase from the current $62,150, Butler said.

The Indianapolis school has about 5,500 students, about 80% of whom are undergraduates.

In its announcement, Butler said it remains financially stable after having made “significant budget adjustments” last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The decisions to freeze tuition for students and families is indicative of the confidence I have in Butler’s current position and long-term future,” President James Danko said in a written statement. “I am deeply appreciative of our faculty and staff in particular, for their extraordinary work and personal sacrifices to carry out the university’s mission and support our students.”

Butler said it give all faculty members and staff bonuses of $1,000  in recognition of their efforts during the pandemic.

Last year, Butler refunded room and board to students who left campus, installed technology to allow for virtual instruction, converted a residence hall into a COVID-19 isolation area, stepped up its cleaning protocols and took other efforts in response to the pandemic.

The school’s spring semester began on Monday, and Butler said “the vast majority” of its students have returned to live on campus and attend classes in person. To help curtail the spread of the virus on campus, the school is currently doing surveillance testing of about 1,500 students each week.