Birmingham-Southern Cuts Tuition in Half

Birmingham-Southern College is the latest college to roll out a tuition reset in recent weeks, announcing Tuesday that it will cut tuition and mandatory fees by more than half starting in the fall of 2018.

Starting next year, tuition will be $17,650, according to AL.com. That’s down from $35,840 this academic year.

The college anticipates being able to grow beyond its current enrollment of 1,300 students after slashing tuition. It currently has capacity to grow to 1,600 students.

President Linda Flaherty-Goldsmith said that the college has heard from students and families that high published prices are a barrier. The college will still award need-based and non-need-based financial aid, although its financial aid amounts will be reduced by the tuition cut. Students are expected to pay a net cost similar to what they pay today. More than 90 percent of students do not pay the college’s published price.

Birmingham-Southern joins colleges like Sweet Briar College in Virginia and Drew University in New Jersey in announcing tuition resets for next year. But even compared to those institutions, its expected cut is steep. Sweet Briar will cut its sticker price by about a third, and Drew will cut its by 20 percent.