On Thursday morning, the University of Denver campus awoke to find an email from the Office of the Provost detailing tuition rises that would take place the following school year:

“With that in mind, and to maintain the highest quality of our DU education, the University of Denver Board of Trustees recently approved a five percent undergraduate tuition increase for the next academic year, beginning in Fall 2023. This is an increase of $77 per credit hour before financial aid is applied…In making this decision, University of Denver’s trustees, with the guidance and advice of our academic and financial leaders, took into consideration the costs associated with providing top-quality learning experiences for our students, while making every effort to control costs of operation.”

The reaction across campus was overwhelmingly negative, with posts across YikYak and Instagram decrying the tuition raise, complaining that it made the school even more difficult to afford.

Students reported feeling that the department could have relayed the change better. “I feel like they should communicate more with the student body about these tuition rises,” said an anonymous freshman.

Additionally, students felt that the already costly tuition was enough of a barrier, with an anonymous JMAC resident stating, “I don’t think you should raise tuition at DU because it’s already pretty high. Seventy-thousand dollars, even for in-state students, is ridiculous. Granted, a lot of people do come here with scholarships, but what about people that live in the Denver area? What about people where this is the closest school and they have no other option? Think about those people before you think about needing more money.” 

Another anonymous student mentioned how they “couldn’t afford dorms” even before the rise in price, and this would make it more likely that they would have to continue commuting to campus.

Some students felt sympathy towards the school as they had to deal with rising costs. “I think it’s reasonable due to inflation and from a logistical standpoint. However, I still wish it stayed the same price because paying more money is never a thing I’d like to do, but I understand,” an anonymous junior noted.

There was a subset of students who doubted their future at the university with the price increase, with an anonymous freshman stating, “My $45,000 scholarship is still not enough to make me go to this school. I have to get a full-time job as a freshman student, and I’m still not making enough. I have a car payment every month that I also have to pay for, plus my student loans.” 

While most would agree that tuition rises were inevitable with inflation, the increase raises doubts about the future affordability of DU.