Delaware State University announces tuition increase

DOVER — Delaware State University announced last week that it will increase tuition by $250 per semester for the upcoming academic year.

It has also updated its housing rates to reflect the current student housing market. Those fees continue to vary based on student choice.

Last year, the university announced its first tuition increase since 2017. It was to be spread over four years.

Officials said the amount of the increase is decided each year, based on economic environment, the cost per student and the subsidies received to preserve “a high-quality, low-cost education for students and their families.”

“We have been, are, and will continue to be the best return on investment in higher education for students and their families,” said university president Dr. Tony Allen in a press release.

Delaware State University, on average, is 54% less expensive than other four-year Delaware institutions and among the best value among historically Black universities, the statement added.

Similar to last year, the increase will not affect Inspire Scholars or full scholarship recipients. According to the news release, 79% of incoming first-year Delaware students last fall were recipients of Inspire Scholarships, state-sponsored four-year, full-tuition grants for graduating high school seniors with at least 2.75 GPAs and a commitment to public service.

Additionally, officials said, both instate and out-of-state students whose families earn less than $30,000 per year will continue to experience decreased costs.

“We provide the best value in Delaware higher education,” said chief financial officer Anas Ben Addi. “It comes at a cost we must recognize. Tuition, fees, and public funding currently do not cover the university’s actual costs.”

It costs the university $27,500 to educate each student, the release continued. The related revenue per student is only $18,500.

“We never plan to fill the gap by simply raising tuition,” Mr. Addi said. “Still, modest increases are important as we fill the difference with private fundraising, ongoing contracting and research opportunities and federal and state appropriation as necessary and appropriate.”

Officials said the university raises $7 million-$10 million per year in direct scholarship support and is the conduit for millions more targeted explicitly to HBCU students. Among these donors are the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Sallie Mae, the Strada Education Foundation, ChristianaCare, the Exelon Corp. (Delmarva Power), Barclays, the HBCU Week Foundation, The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative and Agilent Technologies.

More than 65% of university students are from low-resource communities, and 56% are the first in their families to attend college. These numbers represent the highest proportion among four-year colleges in Delaware.