Following an annual analysis led by Mike DeSalle, vice president of business affairs and Chief Financial Officer of the college, Columbia’s Board of Trustees approved a 3.3 percent raise in tuition and fees for undergraduates and a 5 percent increase for graduate students for the upcoming 2010-2011 academic year.

Within the past five years, the college has kept its increases to under  5 percent, which is below the national average, according to Mark Kelly, vice president of Student Affairs. Kelly said the college’s highest value was placed on affordability for students, which is why the college kept the tuition increases modest and dramatically increased scholarship funds.

DeSalle said the decision for the increase was the result of a number of conclusions.

“We look at the market completely and at some of things we want to do as an institution for [the] upcoming year,” DeSalle said. “We look at any new kinds of initiatives, such programs [and] capital investment initiatives, and once we weigh that with [the] marketplace we make a decision on what we want to do.”

DeSalle added he feels the increase will be relatively low in comparison to other private higher education institutions, such as DePaul or Loyola universities, when they announce their tuition increases.

The college plans to take 2 percent of the 3.3 percent increase and put it toward a scholarship initiative that was conceptualized a few years ago.

“The president [Warrick L. Carter] felt strongly that the economy’s having an impact on students and some parents are struggling to afford private higher education,” DeSalle said. “He thought that we as a school should begin to do something to help students and parents in need. We put forward a plan a couple years ago to get the scholarship pool higher, so in effect, we’re raising tuition 3.3 percent and we’re taking 2 percent of it and to put in [the] scholarship pool for students that are at need.”

Kelly said the scholarship initiative will benefit more than twice the amount of students next year than it has within the past few years.

“Two years ago, 300 freshmen received scholarship support from [the] college,” Kelly said. “This year, just under 500 freshmen received scholarship support and next year, 1,000 freshmen will receive scholarship funding from the college.”

Kelly added the scholarships are renewable for four years. In addition, over the nextcouple of years the college will dramatically increase its retention scholarships. The retention scholarships are directed at enrolled students who didn’t receive aid in the beginning of their studies who now have a high need and merit to provide them with school support from the college.

Student Government Association President Jessica Valerio said that she thinks that the increases are a huge accomplishment by college President Carter and his cabinet.

“As a student, any increase is a burden, and students are feeling financial straining more and more,” Valerio said. “However, it’s been a goal since [the] second I walked on this campus for our administration to keep the tuition increases below 5 percent. I think 3.3 is huge accomplishment.”

Valerio said that the increase might play a role whether or not future and current students will be able to afford attending Columbia, but she doesn’t think it would be the only factor.

“Students will feel it,” Valerio said. “But it’s certainly worthwhile to consider compared to other private institutions in Illinois and across the country, increases that are occurring for the next academic year are far above 5 percent. That might be an attraction, I don’t know, but applications are up. Students want to be here, they know about us, they are excited about Columbia, the question is whether or not they can afford it. Does the [3.3 percent] increase come into play? Sure, but I think it’s in addition to a number of factors as well.”

DeSalle agrees.

“I don’t think the tuition increase is going to be the factor that pushes somebody to not enroll here or leave the school,” DeSalle said. “I think, more importantly, what’s going to happen is if a parent has lost a job or other big issues in families, the bigger ticket items, is going to be the major factors. The increase is very modest. That’s not going to be the breaking point.”