Tuition increases leave low-income students cutting costs

As Barnard’s cost of attendance rises again, low-income and first-generation students say they’re being forced to cut meal plans, take on extra work, and rethink how they will afford another year on campus.

Photo by Haley Scull/The Barnard Bulletin

By Pai Sinpatanasakul

November 17, 2025

Updated November 22 at 2:33 p.m.

Barnard College’s rising tuition has sparked growing concern among students, particularly for those from low-income and first-generation (FLI) backgrounds, who say the increases are straining their budgets and harming their mental health.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, Barnard’s cost of attendance (COA) rose once again, from $67,000 to $70,000, continuing an upward nationwide trend of college expenses.

Barnard’s tuition increase (2020-2025)

Source: Barnard College, 2025.

This graph shows the increase in Barnard’s tuition between 2020-2025. This past year, Barnard’s tuition has increased by 4.5 percent.

While the College cites inflation and increased operational costs as reasons for the change in a recent newsletter, the reasons for the tuition increase have remained largely vague. The only official information that has been published on this is the newsletter, sent out in a schoolwide email on June 26, 2025, and Barnard’s official website, which displays Barnard’s tuition costs for the past six years. In the newsletter, Dean Leslie Grinage stated that the tuition increase enables Barnard to “provide a world-class education, maintain a low student-to-faculty ratio, and uphold academic excellence, all while addressing inflation-driven operating costs.”

Barnard’s increase in dining plan and room and board costs (2021-2025)

Source: Barnard College, 2025.

This table shows the year-over-year percentage change in Barnard’s dining plan and room and board costs between 2021 and 2025. 

Barnard’s room and board and meal plans have increased by 4.75 to seven percent each year — slightly larger increases than the tuition rise — reflecting rising food and housing costs in New York.

Aside from the ambiguity surrounding the tuition increase, some students feel that the impact on their financial stability has not been adequately addressed. One FLI junior shared that the tuition hike forced her to make significant sacrifices just to stay financially afloat. This student is part of the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) program that is meant to financially support low-income, high-achieving STEM students in New York. However, she finds herself insufficiently supported at the moment.

“Due to the increase, I had to significantly cut my meal plan,” she said. “Last year, I was able to have the 125 meal plan while receiving a pretty generous refund — about $3,000. This year, that same plan would have cost me about $2,000, so I had to cut it down to the 30-swipe plan just to get a $1,500 refund this semester.”

To stretch her limited dining resources, she now rations her meal swipes and dining points, often making trips home to Queens to bring back food from her family. She has also taken on another job to cover the additional expenses.

“I think offering more transparency on why my cost of attendance (COA) was raised and offering more support through my Barnard grant would be extremely helpful,” she added.

Another FLI junior previously had her entire COA covered, given her family’s household income. However, she now has to pay roughly $5,000 a year despite her family’s income remaining unchanged. In an interview with The Bulletin, she opened up about her struggles having to find a part-time job and take out more loans to pay tuition, claiming that working longer hours on top of STEM coursework has been stressful and harmful to her mental health. As tuition continues to climb, students are often left juggling jobs, coursework, and commutes, hoping their college can do more to ensure that opportunity does not come at the expense of well-being.

Many are calling for Barnard to better communicate how financial aid adjustments are determined when the COA rises and to ensure that institutional grants keep pace with inflation. More clarity on where the increased tuition is going would help assuage students’ worries. Furthermore, offering more grants and scholarship opportunities would be helpful in easing the burden on low-income students.

While Barnard’s financial aid office continues to emphasize its commitment to meeting 100 percent of demonstrated financial need, students say that “need” does not always reflect the real costs of living in New York City. The tuition increase has fueled conversations across campus about accessibility and equity, particularly at a college that prides itself on supporting underrepresented students. 

Editor's Note: Paragraph six has been updated for clarity.