March 16, 2023
Dear Students and Families,
I hope your academic term is going well. This is the time of year that Seattle University communicates information on tuition and fees for the coming academic year, which follows approval by the Board of Trustees earlier today.
Ensuring that the high-quality education we offer in this thriving hub of innovation remains affordable and accessible is a top priority for us. The current economic climate is impacting us all—whether as individuals, families or as an institution. Over the past year, inflation has hovered between 6 and 9.1 percent nationally and slightly higher in Seattle.
We know that the current climate is challenging for students and families and for the coming year we are committed to keeping increases in tuition and fees below the rate of inflation. Our ability to do this requires finding new efficiencies in how we operate as a university. Equally important, we must ensure that your Seattle University education remains excellent and that you are supported in all facets of your life as students. As such, we need to invest in the people responsible for providing your educational and co-curricular experience. This includes working to align compensation and benefits for faculty and staff with peer institutions.
Guided by this dual commitment to affordability and quality, the university is increasing tuition for the 2023–2024 academic year by 5.78 percent for undergraduates, 5 percent for graduate students and 6 percent for law students. This is within range of rates at peer institutions. For more information on tuition, as well as fees and room and board, please visit:
Undergraduate Student Financial Aid and Discounted Summer Tuition
Recognizing the financial commitment and sacrifices our students and their families make for an SU education, financial aid continues to be a top focus and priority for the university. In fact, student financial aid is the most significant investment we make in the budget. This is critical to assembling and retaining—through SU’s institutional gift aid guarantee—a community of talented students who reflect our society’s tremendous diversity.
To that end, we have created a fund to assist continuing students impacted by the tuition increase. Student Financial Services (SFS) will communicate awards to students by May. Additional assistance will be focused on students with the highest unmet financial need. Students who have not yet filed a 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Please contact SFS with questions or concerns.
In addition, as was recently announced, the university is discounting by 40 percent tuition for all undergraduate courses offered in the summer. For many students, summer is the ideal time to take classes and we hope this discount will provide more options for undergraduates in pursuing a degree.
We recognize this information may not directly impact those of you who are graduating in the spring, but we wanted to keep you informed as members of our community and future alumni. The full details of our FY24 budget will be shared with the campus community after it is finalized. In the meantime, we wish you all the best in your continued studies and time at Seattle University.
Respectfully,
Eduardo M. Peñalver
President