Private Colleges Hold Down Tuition Increases for Second Year, Survey Finds

Private, nonprofit colleges increased published tuition and fees an average of 4.5 percent for the 2010-11 academic year, according to results from a new survey by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, or Naicu. That increase is in line with last year’s 4.3-percent increase, which was the lowest jump in 37 years. For the next academic year, the private colleges increased their institutional aid an average of 6.8 percent, after increasing it 9 percent the year before. The survey was filled out by 497 private colleges and universities who are members of Naicu, and the results provide insight into how institutions decided to balance tuition and aid after a year of wrestling with how the sluggish economy would affect incoming students’ enrollment decisions.