All across the country, the story is the same. Gas prices are higher, food prices are higher, housing prices are higher — and, yes, college tuition prices are higher as well. For parents wanting a faithful, Catholic college education for their children, the price point is higher than ever. Just this past year, many private Catholic colleges raised their tuition prices by as much as 5% due to inflation. What can families do to afford college? This was the question Christendom sought to answer this past year, making the conscious decision to only increase tuition costs by 2% in order to keep costs lower for families.
“Inflation is a fact of life, unfortunately, but we are working hard to keep Christendom affordable for families,” says Scott Kay, Director of Financial Aid at Christendom. “We know families make a big sacrifice to send their children to Christendom and it’s a big investment. We know that investment is worth it, and we are trying to do our part to keep costs down for them.”
Over the past year, the average rate of inflation was 4.1%, resulting in soaring costs across higher education. Christendom responded differently than other schools to this reality, choosing to only raise costs by 2%, in addition to implementing new initiatives and continuing to offer a generous financial aid package to students.
Each year, 98% of students receive some form of financial assistance, with the college making a strong commitment to providing a comprehensive financial assistance program to students. After adjusting for inflation and these scholarships, the net price paid by a student at Christendom is less than it was 10 years ago — a testament to Christendom’s pledge to delivering a high-quality education at an affordable price.
For families seeking a faithful Catholic education at an affordable price, these commitments are immensely important. The Piroch family, for example, has sent five of their children to Christendom thus far, including four concurrently over the past year, in large part due to the college’s efforts to keep prices affordable for families.
The Piroch family has sent five of their children to Christendom thus far, including four concurrently over the past year.
“This year, we had a senior, junior, sophomore, and freshman at Christendom—all at the same time,” says Christen Piroch. “People ask us how we do it. Admittedly, it has been a sacrifice, but we know the worth of a superior education from an orthodox Catholic school. We wanted that for our children, and God made it possible. Don’t let the sticker price scare you away. Unlike many schools, Christendom offers both financial need scholarships and merit scholarships. Collectively, these options can yield thousands of dollars toward tuition. We’ve graduated two children from Christendom so far, and several more will follow. It is a pearl of great price, and our children will be forever grateful.”
In addition to academic scholarships and need-based grants, Christendom offers families many other avenues to lower costs, including the sibling discount. The Pirochs are just one of many families that take advantage of this unique feature at Christendom — in fact, a fifth of the entire student population receives it. Starting this fall, the sibling discount will be given to any student with an older sibling (or siblings) concurrently attending Christendom with them and will receive a discount of $5,000 off tuition per year. This annual sibling discount will automatically be offered for all four years of attendance (totaling $20,000) and will continue after the older sibling graduates or withdraws — making a Christendom education possible for even more families.
“Time and time again, we are told by families that they consider a Christendom education an investment in the future of their children,” says Director of Admissions Sam Phillips. “So many families send multiple children because they see how Christendom is helping them learn the Truth, live the Faith, and thrive as Catholics during the college years and in their post-graduation vocations. We recognize the challenges families face in considering a private college, and we want to continue making a Christendom College education possible for students and families interested in our transformative and time-tested Catholic education.