The St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s Board of Trustees voted today to freeze in-state undergraduate tuition for the 2013-14 academic year at the 2012-13 rates, as a result of new state legislation that also positions the Board to continue the freeze through the 2013-14 academic year. The legislation, passed unanimously by both Maryland’s House and Senate during the legislative session that ended April 9, 2013, enabled the Board of Trustees to reverse the 2013-14 tuition increase for in-state undergraduate students, previously announced at 4% and passed at the February 2013 board meeting.
“The College is grateful to Governor Martin O’Malley; lead bill sponsors Senator Richard Madaleno and Delegate John Bohanan; co-sponsors, Senators Verna Jones-Rodwell and Nathaniel McFadden; and to the Legislature, for their continued support of students and families at St. Mary’s College of Maryland,” said President Urgo.
Speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Chair Molly Matthews-Mahoney added, “The College leadership remains committed to providing the highest quality residential liberal arts education and is pleased to have this opportunity to moderate the cost of attendance. We have always given our students due consideration when determining tuition increases and continuously seek the resources to assure the affordability of a St. Mary’s education.”
In addition to facilitating a tuition freeze for up to two years, the legislation provides new funding to enable St. Mary’s College to expand its DeSousa-Brent Program, a program that builds leadership skills and provides mentorship for students from traditionally underserved populations. The new state funding expands the DeSousa-Brent Program from a one-year program to a four-year program as well as increases the number of students served, providing the College meets retention and graduation performance objectives.
“The administration and board leadership have been actively engaged in conversations with state’s leaders to consider how to address some of the financial challenges facing many Maryland families,” said Thomas Botzman, vice president for business and finance. “Today, we were able to address those challenges in a significant way for Maryland students attending St. Mary’s College.”
The new state funding for tuition includes $800,000 for 2013-14 and over $1.6 million for 2014-15. Funding for the DeSousa Brent program includes $300,000 for 2013-14, increasing annually to $800,000 by 2015-16 providing performance objectives are reached. The net result of this legislation will be a $2.4 million permanent addition to the College’s annual block grant from the state.