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Why is it necessary to raise Homewood undergraduate tuition 7.2 percent for next year?

To put it as simply as possible: To meet unavoidable increases in university expenses without having to cut academic programs, student services, or student aid.

Relatively small tuition rate increases in recent years have enabled the schools to cover only the cost of inflation and needed financial aid.

It has been only through diligent budgeting, and with the assistance of philanthropic gifts, that the deans have been able to undertake important new projects, such as the early rounds of implementation of Commission on Undergraduate Education recommendations, extensive capital improvements designed to enhance Homewood campus security, and academic initiatives.

This year, however, we face extraordinary budgetary challenges, including the added ongoing operating costs for the security improvements we've made. Without a tuition increase somewhat larger than that of recent years, the only way to meet these budgetary challenges would be to retreat from the progress we are making in enhancing the undergraduate experience. That we will not do.

What do you mean by the "relatively small" tuition increases of recent years?

The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering have kept recent tuition increases low, relative both to our peer institutions and to our own history. Our tuition increases have exceeded 5 percent only twice in the past nine years. The Higher Education Price Index has averaged 3.7 percent over that same span, leaving only limited new dollars from increases in the tuition rate to allocate to financial aid and virtually none for other student-focused priorities.

Before the fall of 1997, however, Homewood undergraduate tuition had increased 5 percent or more for 22 straight years. The increase was 10 percent or more seven times during those years.

Johns Hopkins now ranks 12th in "sticker price" tuition among the group of 18 peer universities with which we compare ourselves, including all the Ivy League schools, MIT, Stanford and Chicago.

Is this a one-time extraordinary increase or will tuition continue to increase at higher rates in future years?

This increase is a response to special circumstances. The trustees very much hope that such circumstances will not recur. Their intention is that future tuition increases will be smaller. That said, it is impossible to predict — or to fully control — the magnitude of future changes in all the various drivers of tuition, including such costs as security, health care benefits and energy.

Will my financial aid package be adjusted to reflect this increase?

Johns Hopkins remains firmly committed to making it possible for qualified students to attend the university even if their family finances do not make it possible for them to pay full tuition. Each year, a significant portion of the revenue from any tuition increase is returned to students in the form of financial aid. That will be true this year as well. One of the goals of the university's Knowledge for the World campaign is to raise additional endowed funds for student aid, to reduce the need to use tuition revenue in financial aid packages.

How does this compare to tuition increases at other universities?

We do not yet know. Universities do not share information about their future charges until they are publicly announced which, at most institutions, occurs in the late winter or early spring. We do know, however, that our peer institutions are subject to many of the same costs pressures as we are, including rapid escalation in the cost of health benefits and energy.

Is this the largest Johns Hopkins tuition increase ever?

Far from it. The largest percentage increase in recent decades was 16.7 percent for the 1989-1990 academic year.

How much will room and board increase next year?

Room and board charges have not yet been determined, but the increases are likely to be larger than those of recent years. Operating costs due to security do affect the costs of running our housing and dining programs. Moreover, we plan to make significant enhancements to our dining program.

Is Johns Hopkins really trying to keep costs down?

Yes. A few examples: The university has for several years held increases in its budget for employee raises below the rate of inflation, and continues to do so. Like other employers, the university is also shifting a greater share of health insurance costs to employees. The Facilities Management Office is saving millions of dollars with new conservation measures and long-term energy contracts. Given the overall environment in the energy market, however, those savings don't result in smaller energy bills, but rather bills that aren't rising quite as sharply as they would have otherwise.