2019 - 2020 Tuition Letter

March 12, 2019

Dear Parents and Family Members:

At its meeting last month, the Board of Trustees approved the following tuition and fees for 2019-20:

  • Tuition: $53,730
  • Room: $7,820
  • Board: $7,025
  • Student Activity Fee: $530
  • Student Technology Fee: $320
  • Student Health Fee: $250

Washington and Lee is committed to providing a liberal arts education of the highest quality. This commitment requires that we continually invest in our people, programs and facilities. These investments allow us to increase the remarkable curricular and co-curricular opportunities that benefit our students.

For example, over the coming year, we will hire a Director for the Center of Academic Resources and Pedagogical Excellence (CARPE), an Assistant Director for the Advanced Immersion and Mentoring (AIM) program, the Director of Institutional History, a Director of Fellowships and new faculty positions in Environmental Studies, Computer Science and Art History. These are in addition to the current year's increased staffing in the Office of Career and Professional Development and the Office of Inclusion and Engagement. Not only are these enhancements consistent with priorities that emerged from our Strategic Planning process, but they also underscore our institutional dedication to personal attention and mentorship.

During the coming year, the university will complete the Richard L. Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center, finish renovations of Woods Creek Apartments, and finalize the first phase of the CARPE space in Leyburn Library. Over the next decade, we anticipate investing more than $250 million in our facilities so that we can continue to offer a world-class undergraduate educational experience. Many of these investments in programs and facilities will be funded through the generous support of alumni and friends.

The people, programs and facilities that provide our rich array of opportunities are undeniably expensive. We estimate the university's actual cost to educate each student to be $85,450 this year. That is $19,070 more than our published comprehensive price, which means that each student receives a subsidy of 22 percent of the underlying real cost.

More than half of our total expenditures in 2017-18 (50.8 percent) came from philanthropy in the form of income from our endowment and generous gifts from alumni, parents and friends. Net tuition revenues covered 37.3 percent of total expenditures, which is a significant decrease from 46.6 percent just 10 years ago.

At Washington and Lee, we pride ourselves on providing an incredible opportunity for those with incredible potential. In order to offer W&L's distinctive educational experience, we rely on the continued support of the institution and the dedication of alumni and parents. I understand and appreciate the level of sacrifice that you make on behalf of your sons and daughters, and that is why we continue to strive to enhance the long-term value of a Washington and Lee education.

Cordially,

Steven G. McAllister
Treasurer and Vice President for Finance