UConn Takes Federal Bailout Cash, Raises Tuition for Some, Offers Free College to Others

UConn Takes Federal Bailout Cash, Raises Tuition for Some, Offers Free College to Others

These moves seem contradictory in pretty much every direction.

Campus Reform reports:

UConn takes gov’t bailout while raising tuition, making college ‘free’ for some

After announcing that it would make tuition free for families making up to $50,000 per year, the University of Connecticut squeezed current students for tuition and mandatory fees during the coronavirus crisis, despite receiving a bailout worth millions from the federal government.

UConn announced in March that it would only provide refunds for unused housing and dining plans, as well as study abroad programs.

The university will not refund tuition or student fees despite having moved students to virtual learning in the middle of the semester. This came just six months after the university announced the “Connecticut Commitment” for low-income and middle-class families making $50,000 or less per year, an endeavor one campus official said at the time would cost the school $1 million per class, per year, according to the Daily Campus. Furthermore, UConn announced in December that it will raise the cost of tuition by 23 percent in the next five years.

In the same March announcement, the university estimates a loss of $134 million because of the coronavirus, not including revenue losses from 2020-21. President Katsoleaus claimed that the unanticipated costs “threaten the core financial stability of the university.”

Recognizing the financial challenges for colleges, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As part of that legislation, UConn received $21,500,845.

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