Seattle Pacific University announced through an email that tuition, board and technical fees would increase for the 2022-23 school year.

In the email sent out on March 4 from the Office of Enrollment and Marketing, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing Nate Mouttet announced that SPU’s tuition rate would increase 4%, in line with their Tuition Reimagined commitment. 

Alongside the tuition increase, other fees will also increase in the 2022-23 school year according to Mouttet. 

“Similar to that [Tuition Reimagined] but not part of the original commitment, really driven by inflation, is our room and board,” Mouttet said. “Room and board is going to go up from $13,404, it is going to be a 7.5% increase, and it will go to $14,409.”

Class technical fees will also increase next year according to Mouttet.

“Fees, the combination of technology and the ASSP wellness fee, the total increase will go from $546, with a 3.9%, to $564,” Mouttet explained. 

Mouttet also said that increases were also because of rising costs due to national inflation.

“Room and board is where we really feel the inflation,” Mouttet said. “From gas prices, to getting a gallon of milk, to what it takes Sodexo to bring food from farm to market, it is far beyond 7%, and we are trying to hold that down to a reasonable amount that students can handle.”

While these increases remain below city-wide inflation rates, and costs still remain lower than other Washington private universities, many students are worried about the effects the cost increases will have on them. 

Third-year music education major Samantha Hart explained that she was already struggling financially before the price increases. 

“I’m already almost too poor to go here, so it kind of sucks. They are saying that most universities increase more than that I guess,” Hart said. 

For some, like first-year electrical engineering and music production major Matthew Spickelmier, the email seemed redundant.

“It didn’t surprise me that much, because they talk about how they cap it at 4%,” Spickelmier said. “The email did a pretty good job downplaying the fact that they did increase it by 4%, which was the cap. They said something about ‘this year we’re only going to increase it by a little bit, just 4%,’ so you are increasing it as much as you thought you would.”

First-year nursing major Elly Stehle understands the changes, but recognizes they will still affect many students. 

“I understand why they are doing it, it is just annoying that it’s so much,” Stehle said. “We are already paying a lot, especially if you don’t have a ton of financial aid. I’m lucky that I do but I know a lot of people don’t.”

Mouttet stated that they are trying to ensure current students are considered as these changes occur.

“We’ve given a lot of consideration to current students when we reset tuition and controlled future tuition increases for as long as they are a student at SPU,” Mouttet said.