MC unfazed by freeze

Admissions are actually up considerably this year

By Kate York, kyork@mariettatimes.com
Marietta College’s admissions director said he doesn’t think a state tuition freeze at public colleges and universities is hurting enrollment at the private college, where admissions are actually up significantly this year.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and the state legislature have worked out a two-year tuition freeze at Ohio’s public schools in exchange for more government funding, but tuition at private colleges, such as Marietta College, is increasing by an average of 5 percent this fall.

The freeze has some private school officials worried that in tough economic times families will choose public colleges over private ones.

But Marietta College Admissions Director Jason Turley said there doesn’t seem to be an impact at MC.

“If the only thing they’re looking at is price they’ll always be able to find something that costs less,” Turley said. “Price is just one facet of what people are looking at when choosing a college. They’re interested in us because they’re hearing about programs and all the things we’ll be able to offer them.”

The college is already at capacity, about 390 students, for its upcoming freshman class, and is having to develop a waiting list for the first time.

“We’re at full capacity and we have more interested than we can take,” Turley said. “So we’re not looking at this (freeze) and saying ‘Oh, my gosh this is terrible.’ I think people realize that education is an investment.”

Other private colleges are a little more concerned about the impact of the tuition freeze, according to the Associated Press.

Smaller schools won’t be able to help cushion the blow of a tuition increase with more financial aid, like wealthy schools can do, said Margaret Drugovich, vice president for university enrollment at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware.

“Harvard has a multi billion endowment,” she said. “We’re not them yet.”

Ohio Wesleyan plans to raise tuition almost 6 percent next school year, to $33,700.

The increase at Marietta College will be 5 percent, up to $25,430 for tuition or $34,104 in comprehensive costs, including room, board and orientation fees.

Ohio’s 85 private colleges charged an average of $19,117 in the 2006-2007 school year, according to the Associated Press.

Tuition and fees at Ohio’s public universities average $8,553.