Editorial

Increased costs = Increased benefits

By Editorial Staff

April 4, 2013

Every year, Hamilton College increases its comprehensive costs by about four percent in order to insure the high caliber of student experience that the College promises in its mission statement. Hamilton seeks “to provide an educational experience that emphasizes academic excellence and the development of students as human beings,” a goal that the funds which students’ families pay for tuition, room, board and student activities help the College achieve. For the 2013-2014 calendar year, these costs will add up to $57,790, the highest that they have been in the history of the College. When the Class of 2013 matriculated, the fees added up to $49,860.

The increased costs can be attributed mostly to Hamilton’s three-year-old need-blind admission policy, which guarantees that every prospective student’s application will receive consideration regardless of his or her family’s financial circumstances. In the collegiate world, this policy is as unique as it is commendable. In 2010, The New York Times published a piece about Hamilton’s brave decision to “swim against that tide” of favoring students who do not need financial aid. By raising comprehensive costs, the College has increased its ability to meet the financial aid needs of an economically diverse pool of prospective students. In honoring its need-blind policy, the Office of Admission and Financial Aid has had been able to select students based primarily on their academic performance and extracurricular excellence—the factors that bear relevance on how they will operate within and contribute to the College community.

Moreover, the raised tuition fees will help make Hamilton an even more enriching environment for present and future students by allowing for construction projects on campus, not to mention the preservation of historical buildings. The picturesque buildings that populate the campus are almost synonymous with “The Hill” itself: The Chapel, South Hall and Taylor Science Center, among other constantly photographed buildings should continue to appear as, if not more, beautiful as when they first graced Hamilton’s campus.

The hike in comprehensive fees will also contribute to increased wages for faculty and staff members. The individuals who work at Hamilton are the heart of the College, and their commitment to the quality of the Hamilton student experience is worthy of every possible form of recognition. From holding above and beyond offices hours to shoveling the paths so students can always get to class and learn, College employees not only make Hamilton what it is today, but enable it thrive on a day-to-day basis.

Although the total might seem daunting to some, ultimately the comprehensive costs are a necessity. They guarantee the high-quality educational and social experience that students anticipated when they enrolled. Any student who decided to attend Hamilton in the first place made the conscious, careful decision to invest in an extremely costly—and extremely valuable—higher education. While the news that an already pricey purchase is becoming even more inflated is not exactly “good” for students’ wallets, we have faith in the College that it’s even better for students’ futures.

All Editorial