Smith Announces 1999-2000 Fees

At its February meeting, the Smith College Board of Trustees approved a comprehensive fee of $30,442, an increase of 3.5 percent over the current year.

The comprehensive fee incorporates tuition ($22,440), room and board ($7,820) and a student activities fee ($182).

In a letter to parents and students announcing the new fees, Smith College President Ruth J. Simmons noted that the subsidy provided to every student by the college's endowment, annual fund, and operating budget means that a student's comprehensive fee actually covers only 56 percent of the real cost of her education.

In the last few years, Smith has combined disciplined cost-cutting in administrative operations with a commitment to bridging the gap between family resources and college costs. While inflation is low, college costs have continued to escalate, necessitating careful planning to balance costs with strategic expenditures.

"Our aim," Simmons explained, "is to balance fiscal stability with strategic expenditures on academic programs, faculty development and technological improvements, in order to ensure Smith's continuing academic and fiscal strength.

"In doing so, we remain confident that our students' experiences at Smith will prove their value, now and in the future."