Few Colleges in Nation Freezing Tuition, Room, and Board

Merrimack College One of Few Holding Rates
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
Most colleges and universities have released their tuition rates for next year,
with only a handful of schools not increasing tuition, room and board. Some have
opted for a historically low increase. The desire by colleges and universities
to provide access and choice while assisting families in this economic downturn
has fueled these measures.

In Massachusetts, Merrimack College is one of only two colleges holding rates,
according to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
(www.naicu.edu). Merrimack College made an early announcement in December 2008
that it would be one of only a few schools nationwide to freeze tuition, room
and board.

How can Merrimack afford to do this?

Unlike other colleges and universities, Merrimack is not endowment dependent;
only 2% of the annual operating budget is covered by endowment income. After
modeling the College`s capacity to offer the lowest possible price increase
while sustaining essential services and producing a balanced operations budget,
Merrimack determined that, with cost control and program efficiency, the College
could avoid an increase in next year`s tuition, room and board.

Selection of Comments from the Merrimack College Community

"With students and families doing all they possibly can to pay for a college
education, we strongly believe that Merrimack College must do its part to make
an education as accessible as possible for them. We are committed to educational
opportunity for all and want to be sure that next year`s incoming freshmen
continue to have the choice to attend Merrimack if they so wish." - Dr. Ronald
Champagne, president of Merrimack College

"The tuition freeze definitely made my life a lot easier - it helped lighten a
lot of my financial worries for next year. The fact that Merrimack did this for
the student body is just another demonstration of how much they truly care for
us. It also shows the organization, awareness, and expertise of the
administration because without careful planning, this freeze would not have been
possible." -Alisha Wilkinson '12, Biology

For more comments, visit
http://warrior.merrimack.edu/admission/TuitionAndExpenses/Pages/TuitionFreezeTestimonials.aspx

Merrimack College
Heather Notaro, 978-837-5195
Public Relations
heather.notaro@merrimack.edu

Copyright Business Wire 2009