Students respond to increased attendance costs for 2026-27 year

James Ryan Prizant ’29
prizantjry@lakeforest.edu
Copy Editor

Though no official announcement has been made by College staff, the College website confirms that the yearly cost of tuition, fees and meal plans will increase by $2,510 for the 2026-27 school year. This amounts to an over 3.8% increase compared to the 2025-26 yearly subtotal. In addition, year-round costs for standard on-campus housing will increase by $240, about 3.7% more.

“It’s pretty typical that [tuition/cost of attendance] increases are going to be in the 3 to 4% [range] per year,” Interim Vice President for Finance Randy Barfield said. “That’s just kind of keeping pace with inflation. My experience in colleges is 3-4% annual increase is pretty normal.”

Other institutions in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest vary in their percentage increases. According to each college’s website, the total direct costs of attendance at Cornell College and Ripon College will increase by around 3.4% and 3.6%, respectively. On-campus tuition for Knox College students will increase by around 4.2%. Meanwhile, institutions such as Carleton College plan to raise their yearly comprehensive fees — meals and housing included — by over 4.7%.

Upon hearing about cost-of-attendance increases, many students did not respond positively. One YikYak user posted March 29, “This bum ass college has the audacity to raise our tuition next year [by] thousands of dollars,” and went on to list complaints of their student experience. 

On the same day, a quote post was made in response, stating, “…genuinely what the FUCK is the point of charging us more? Most students I’ve talked to chose LFC [because] of the financial aid…but I doubt they’re raising the amount of scholarship money they’re giving us.”

Barfield wishes to assure students that the student experience will remain unchanged.

“First and foremost is the student experience,” he said. “We will do everything possible to protect the small class size and the caliber of the instruction that [students] have.”

Other students have had to change their planned expenses due to the cost increases, such as junior Samantha Pindiak, who said her initial reaction upon learning of increased costs was “not positive.” She explained that next year she plans to live in on-campus apartments to avoid paying for a meal plan, as a budgeting decision.

“I’m paying more for housing, and I’m not even getting that meal plan,” she said. “Living on campus is already very expensive, and already kind of inflated.”

Pindiak would go on to say that the reactions of her peers, upon learning of cost increases, were “not that [surprising]…but just disappointed.”

Other students worry if their scholarship amounts will also increase to accommodate the costs. Associate Director of Financial Aid Mark Anderson has stated that “scholarships do not [adjust].”