Bates College announces 3 percent fee increase

The Bates College Board of Trustees has voted to set the fee for attendance for the academic year 2014–15 at $60,720. This single fee, which covers tuition, room, board and fees, represents a 3 percent increase over 2013–14.

Bates presents cost in the form of a single fee for attendance so that the students and families can see their entire financial commitment in one number.

In keeping with our historic commitment to access, the college offers generous need-based financial aid to make sure that the Bates educational experience is accessible to every qualified student who chooses to attend the college, regardless of financial need. Bates meets 100 percent of demonstrated need, with an average financial aid award for the current year of more than $40,000. Forty-four percent of Bates students receive financial aid.

The Bates commitment to opportunity and excellence means recruiting talented and motivated students from a broad range of backgrounds, providing them with the financial aid that will enable them to enroll and supporting them for academic and personal success once here.

In an email notifying returning students and their families about the fee for the coming year, Bates President Clayton Spencer wrote, “I know that college costs are of significant concern to our families, and I assure you that we share that concern. Managing the relationship among costs, fees, and financial aid in a time of continuing economic pressure on institutions and families alike is a high priority for the college, second only to providing the most valuable education possible for our students.”