To:      Suffolk University Community
From:  David J. Sargent, President
Date:   March 6, 2009

Dear Members of the Suffolk Community:

Each year when it comes time to establish the University budget for the next academic year, we are mindful of the financial burden that rising education costs create for students and their parents.

This year, there is an additional factor to be weighed – a deep and painful recession that has made it increasingly difficult for many to afford a college education. As a consequence, we are particularly sensitive at this time to the challenges many students and their parents are experiencing in the face of the most severe economic downturn in decades.

With these circumstances in mind, the University is taking a hard line toward managing and controlling our costs and is giving careful scrutiny to each expense, all with an eye toward maximizing financial aid funds available for our students. We have restricted the creation of new administrative positions and are reviewing, on a case-by-case basis, the filling of any vacant positions.

At the same time, we’ve allowed no diminution in our investment in teaching and scholarship. We will continue to provide the academic environment and quality programs that will allow each Suffolk student to flourish in his or her educational pursuits, along with the tools to achieve professional and career goals.

In order to attain these standards of excellence and to meet our students’ expectations for a high- quality educational experience, the Board of Trustees has approved a full-time undergraduate tuition rate of $27,100 for 2009/2010. At 4.8 percent, this is our lowest increase in 33 years.

In coming to its decision, the Board has maintained as its guiding principal the need to maintain affordable education and to continue the tradition of establishing our tuition level well below comparable institutions. In fact, as of this year, among Massachusetts colleges and universities, 38 have rates higher than Suffolk.  

Most importantly, the tuition increase is primarily directed to increasing funds available to our students for financial aid. More than 90 percent of the proceeds from next year’s tuition increase are being targeted to fund financial aid. That extraordinarily high percentage reflects the increased need among many students who are facing financial challenges unanticipated even 12 months ago.

Suffolk will increase its financial aid budget by 19 percent in the coming year. That percentage increase is nearly four times the rate of the tuition increase.

Suffolk University continues a mission to provide access and opportunity that dates back more than a century. Our guiding principal is as true today as it was a century ago:  to offer each student who comes through our doors a quality education at a reasonable cost.  As our educational community grows in size and diversity, each of us at this great University is committed to this purpose.

Tution, Room & Board Rates for 2009-2010