President Brown Announces 24% Increase in Financial Aid and Scholarships
We know families are struggling. We're here to help.
That was the message President Roger H. Brown sent to the entire Berklee community March 27 in a letter discussing the college's response to the economic downturn.
The strongest focus is on freeing up funds for a dramatic expansion in financial aid and scholarships.
Berklee has cut non-academic spending by about 5 percent and kept academic spending level. On March 26, the Board of Trustees voted to cut a planned tuition increase to 6.2 percent; most of the proceeds will go to financial aid.
In all, financial aid and scholarships will go up by 24 percent.
"These measures are intended to do all that we can to allow our talented students to continue their Berklee education," President Brown wrote.
The desire for that education continues to grow. Applications went up 11 percent overall, with a 37 percent increase in students applying early-action.
In addition, the college has received almost $35 million in gifts and pledges towards its 2011 Giant Steps fundraising goal of $50 million.
President Brown concluded, "Overall, I am very confident that Berklee is finding the right balance of caution in these hard times, while continuing to invest in improving the quality of our education and the opportunities available to our students."