Middlebury College Sets Fee for 2021-2022, Increases Financial Aid

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The Middlebury Board of Trustees has approved an increase of 2.5 percent, or $1,870, for annual undergraduate tuition, room, and board charges for the 2021-2022 academic year. The increase will bring the cost for a year at Middlebury College to $76,380, including $59,330 for tuition and $17,050 for room and board. An additional mandatory student activity fee will increase by $4 to $440.

Middlebury annually benchmarks its fees against a list of 20 other national liberal arts colleges, and with the increase next year, the College’s tuition and room and board charges are likely to be right at the midpoint among peer schools.

As part of Middlebury’s key priority to support equity, access, and inclusion at every level, the College’s financial aid program ensures that many students will pay far less than the full fee. Middlebury College provides need-based aid to almost 50 percent of its students, with an average grant this year of more than $55,000.

Middlebury is one of a relatively small number of colleges and universities that admits students without regard to their financial need or ability to pay, while also meeting the full demonstrated need of those admitted students. Middlebury’s budget forecast for the 2021-2022 academic year projects an eight percent increase in financial aid for the undergraduate college over this year.

The average debt upon graduation for Middlebury College students who take federal loans as part of their financial aid is less than $15,000 per student.

Along with requests for greater financial aid, Middlebury and other institutions across higher education have also encountered additional costs related to COVID-19 while working to maintain support for students and programs. Middlebury’s budgeting takes into account an expected increase in the price of healthcare and utilities, as well as operating expenses.

While acknowledging growing needs, administrators also recognize the pressures on families. The fee increase is the lowest level since the 2014-2015 academic year given the financial challenges that many parents and students are facing during the pandemic. Middlebury continues to carefully track expenses and manage its resources to ensure that it has the capability to incorporate new ideas and practices into its curriculum and programs that will benefit current and future students.