At a time when most colleges are -raising- tuition, Waldorf College plans to -cut- tuition by 15-percent for incoming students in the fall of 2003 as the Forest City school starts its final transition into being a full-time four-year private college. Waldorf president Thomas Jolivette says the goal in the transition is to make private college even more affordable for high school graduates. Jolivette says despite tough economic times, Waldorf’s current situation allows them to make the tuition cuts. He says colleges give huge financial aid packages to allow students to attend, while Waldorf is lowering the price and making students less dependent on financial aid packages. Jolivette is not sure if other private colleges will try to follow Waldorf’s move.He says it takes the right set of circumstances to be able to do it.The college will also freeze tuition and fees and lower room and board for current students. The reduction will reduce tuition to 13-thousand dollars annually for next year’s freshmen. Waldorf coupled the tuition announcement with the athletic department’s declaration of their intent to leave the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference for the Midwest Classic Conference of the N-A-I-A, which includes nine other schools.
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