By Madina Toure
St. John’s University announced it would be freezing tuition, fees, room and board costs for the 2015-16 academic year at its Queens, Manhattan, Oakdale and international locations.
“St. John’s is aware of the significant financial challenges facing college students and their families,” St. John’s University President Conrado Gempesaw said in a statement. “We are taking this action in an effort to help alleviate those burdens.”
The tuition freeze will allow current full-time undergraduate, part-time undergraduate and graduate students to save the planned 3 percent tuition increase, about $1,140, for the 2015-16 academic year. Base tuition for undergraduate students at the Queens and Manhattan campuses as well as for online learning is $37,870 per year for traditional and distance learning students at the Queens and Manhattan campuses.
The tuition freeze will go into effect at the beginning of the 2015 pre-summer session in May. The entire student body would save about $14 million, according to Dominic Scianna, a university spokesman.
“Dr. Conrado Gempesaw, felt it was a priority to alleviate the burden for parents and certainly students,” Scianna said in an interview with TimesLedger. “We wanted to be certainly available to give those savings to our students and future students.”
Incoming freshmen will save at least $4,560 on the cost of tuition over the course of four years, Scianna added.
On the Staten Island campus, tuition for current and incoming undergraduate students will be decreased by $10,370. Scianna said the tuition was reduced at the campus given that the campus does not have the same amenities as the Queens campus.
“The tuition is more structured toward the academic offerings now in Staten Island and that’s why the reduction was felt to be made at this time,” he said.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.
