Easing anxiety for families: Heidelberg launches new Tuition Guarantee

The Heidelberg University Board of Trustees on October 30th approved the Heidelberg Tuition Guarantee that locks in tuition costs over a student’s four years of study at the undergraduate level. 

Increasingly, the cost of higher education is rising across the Midwest, causing uncertainty and anxiety that sometimes means students are not sure they will be able to complete their degree. Heidelberg has taken a bold step to ease the stress and provide confidence that will remain affordable and accessible to students of all income levels.

“Effective immediately, the tuition rate current students are paying this academic year will remain in place for the remainder of their four years of study at Heidelberg,” explained Tony Bourne, vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing. “Essentially, this means that juniors will have one more year, sophomores two more years and freshman three more years at the current tuition rate. Freshmen entering in the Fall 2021 will pay the 2021-22 tuition rate all four years of their program of study.”

The University will set a new four-year Heidelberg Tuition Guarantee price for all new incoming students who enroll beginning next fall, and reset this pricing guarantee for each incoming fall cohort going forward. There are also specific guidelines for transfer students, students who re-enroll and those who extend their program of study beyond four years.

“With a set tuition rate for all years of study, Heidelberg students and their families will know exactly what to expect each year and can be assured that when they see they can afford the opportunity to enroll at Heidelberg, that will remain the case throughout their time here,” Bourne said.

 With tuition locked in over four years, the total cost for a degree at Heidelberg will drop below the cost of many of the large state schools in Ohio and will remain below the cost of most private institutions across the Midwest.

Over the past five years, Heidelberg has averaged an annual tuition increase of 2.7 percent – just below the national average of 2.9 percent. This means that tuition increases approximately 9 percent by a student’s senior year. In real dollars, this four-year set tuition structure will save students and families thousands of dollars at current rates.

Heidelberg will continue its annual practice of evaluating and setting possible increases in room, board and fees each year; these costs do not automatically increase each year.

In combination with several other innovative programs and initiatives, the Heidelberg Tuition Guarantee is just one more positive and intentional step toward making a Heidelberg degree more accessible and valuable, said Heidelberg President Rob Huntington. Already, Heidelberg offers a test-optional admission option for incoming students, in addition to a four-year graduation guarantee, the HYPE Career Ready Program®, and the PlusOneAdvantage® MBA Tuition-Free Scholarship Program as key drivers toward accessibility, affordability, student success, and student placement.

“We are excited to offer the Heidelberg Tuition Guarantee to all of our current and incoming students going forward,” Huntington said. “It complements our strong student-value and high student-impact initiatives. By making our education more affordable to more students, we are strengthening our commitment to the Heidelberg core student mission of delivering education excellence, full engagement, total success, four-year graduation and preferred placement for all of our students.”