University of North Dakota Acknowledge Rising Tuition

Costs

By: Katherine Stauss

Madisen (cq) Ellingson is a senior at the University of North

Dakota who double majors in Mathematics and Secondary Education

while minoring in Biology. She admits undergoing financial trouble

since starting school. “I feel that tuition has gone up significantly since I

began attending UND. The cost of my first semester in the fall of 2018

was $4,397.72. Now fast-forwarding to fall of 2021, this semester costed

myself $5,298.12 That’s nearly a $1,000 increase just for one semester

over a three year timeframe.”

While carrying a full load of classes, she works part-time off

campus, averaging 23 hours a week at Development Homes in Grand

Forks, assisting with disabled adults. She also has received scholarships

and grants and has taken out loans. It’s barely enough.

“I am the only one paying for school, which means I get no help

from my parents,” she said. “If it weren’t for the scholarships and grants
that I’ve been able to receive, I would have a much harder time paying

off my schooling after graduating and would be twice as stressed about

money.”

Tuition is one of the highest expenses a college student will pay. It

has led to a debate across the nation whether college is worth the cost.

Millions of students who attend universities are unable to pay the full

cost of tuition. It leaves students to pay their own savings, need parental

support, apply for scholarships and grants, and take out thousands of

dollars in loans. Paying the full cost in return of college education is

difficult without relying on assistance.

“I’ve received both grants and scholarships which is free money to

pay for school. Both are $6,000 in total and it’s spread out over a four

year timeframe, so I must use it wisely,” said Ellingson. “I’ve received

some state and federal grants, totaling about $7,000. Lastly, I received

the federal TEACH grant for just under $4,000. With my scholarships

and grants, I hope to have less than $15,000 in debt by the end of my

schooling. I have already been paying my loans off as much as I can,

especially while there is no interest rate.”

 Janelle Kilgore, a UND vice provost, said student tuition rates are

determined through a budgeting process that begins with the university’s

department chairs and college deals, goes through higher administration

and the State of Higher Education and finally the North Dakota State

Legislator.

For students, the cost of tuition varies by major and residence. An

in-state undergraduate student carrying 12 credits per semester paid

about $5,300 in Fall 2021. A non-resident student paid about $15,000

while international paid $20,000. The price of tuition excludes room and

board which can be another $5,000 a semester or $10,000 per year.

Tuition rises when state funding doesn’t cover increases in

operating costs, said Jed Shivers, UND vice president of finance and

operations. State support may not cover require maintenance of

buildings and other property, for example, or scheduled increase in

salaries and fridge benefits.

“We are constantly working on ways to provide funding to the

academic enterprise for either programmatic or administrative

improvements,” he said, “and that tends to get funded by tuition

increases as well.”

Indicated by the graph, UND continues to see rising costs. In 2011,

the cost was roughly $7,000. Today, students pay over $10,000.

While UND cannot lower tuition costs, financial support is available.

According to the university website, students receive roughly $12,900

annually in financial assistance. (Net Price Calculator)

“UND roughly has 74%-77% of students who receive some sort of

financial assistance any given year,” said Kilgore. “We are a high-
quality institution at a reasonable cost. My advice for students is to apply

for all scholarships, even if they are not meeting requirements, and only

take out a loan for direct educational costs. Live like a college student

when you are in college. Students who receive a financial aid refund

such as loans should repay that back to the loan right away.”

College tuition is an issue for students due to debt and rising costs.

UND acknowledges the issue and offers financial disbursements.

Students going to college should not be overwhelmed by the cost. The

best advice for students is to be aware and apply for scholarships, grants,

financial aid, and loans to help cover the end amount.

External Links:

“Net Price Calculator.” University of North Dakota, 15 Dec 2021

und.edu/admissions/cost-and-aid/calculator.html.