The announcement came from President Michael Alexander on Sept. 20 in personalized emails to students that broke down what their future financial plans will look like.
The total cost for the upcoming year will be $39,500. Tuition will total in $26,000, and standard room and board will be $13,500.
This price difference will be a 33% reduction rate from the current school year’s price.
President Alexander this change will make the published price closer to the actual price that people typically pay, which he believes will bring in more students.
Alexander said anybody currently paying more than $39,500 will pay less money.
According to Alexander, students who are paying less than $39,500 will experience a slight increase in tuition, though this increase will be less than what it would have been with the previous tuition price.
The total out of pocket cost for most students will increase by 3%. This increase will be based on the new price of $39,500.
Dean of Student Financial Services Jennifer Muldowney said the school took the adjusted $39,500 and subtracted it by a 3% increase on what each student was already paying this year. The difference between these numbers resulted in each student’s new financial aid package.
Muldowney said she also believes lowering tuition will help bring in new students who would not have considered Lasell.
“We wanted to make this opportunity available to our students, both incoming and new students, to show them that we understand that inflation is now a burden for all of us,” Muldowney said. “So what we decided to do was lower the price tag in conjunction.”
Since Lasell is one of the first schools in the Boston area to make this change, Muldowney said that she hopes it will help to put the school “on the map.”
“Right now, we are just known as a small liberal arts school in Auburndale,” Muldowney said. “But we wanted something to make us stand out amongst all of the other schools in the area and so we felt this was an opportunity to increase enrollment to those students who would not [otherwise] look at it.”
Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing Chrystal Porter said that she also hopes this reduction in tuition helps to get “right to the point” with families about what it will really cost to attend Lasell.
“We believe that the institution has a lot to offer,” Porter said. “[We want] to give families a better experience in the college admission process.”
Porter said that she encourages anybody with questions or concerns about next year’s tuition to reach out to her or financial aid.
“We actually want people to raise their hands if they are not understanding what’s going on so we can sit down and go through their individual packages,” Porter said.
Porter said that she is “excited” for this change and that she believes it will have a positive impact on the school.
“The intent of this project really is not just a financial one,” Porter said. “It really is to help continue Lasell being a vibrant community with really vibrant and creative and wonderful individuals.”
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