Giving to IC

Why We Need You

No one can deny that the cost of going to college is rising, or that parents and students are struggling. The fact is that a college education is growing more and more expensive, not just for the parents and students footing the bills, but also for the institutions providing the education. With each rise in the cost of construction, building maintenance, utilities, technology updates and replacements, salaries, employee benefits, dining services, and gas for campus vehicles, colleges across the country are feeling the pinch.

A 2007-8 survey of annual tuition and fees at 20 regional colleges and universities shows that Ithaca is well below the mean of $33,672 at $28,670. But we simply can't afford to ignore the fact that parents and students are having a hard time paying the bills.

On average, 85 percent of Ithaca's enrolled undergraduates receive some form of financial assistance, including institutional grants and scholarships and federal and state-supported grants, work, and loans. Some 75 to 80 percent of Ithaca's enrolled students receive aid directly from the College, including the 65 percent of IC students who receive need-based aid.

In 2007-8, approximately 34 percent of Ithaca's tuition revenue -- or more than $58 million -- was directed toward student financial aid. Such a large allocation to student aid lessens the College's ability to fund new academic initiatives, pay unanticipated costs, and build and maintain facilities.