Published on March 15, 2016 by Philip Poole  
pendulum

Samford University’s board of trustees has approved the 2016–17 tuition and fee schedule.

Undergraduate tuition for full-time students will be $14,276 per semester, a 3.75 percent increase over 2015–16. This is the lowest percentage increase in undergraduate tuition in several years, university officials noted.

The university-wide parking fee will increase to $30 per semester. According to Harry B. Brock III, Samford’s executive vice president, the additional parking fees will be used to help offset costs for maintaining current parking facilities and supporting parking solutions.

The university-wide technology fee of $175 per semester and the undergraduate campus life fee of $250 per semester remain unchanged for 2016–17.

Housing rates for undergraduates will range from $2,117 to $4,321 per semester, based on residence facility. This is a 5 percent increase from 2015–16. Meal plans will range from $1,134 to $2,361 per semester. The “carte blanche” meal plan is increasing 4 percent over 2015–16 but allows for unlimited meals and dining access throughout the day. Samford also offers 12- and 7-meal plans, and those rates are unchanged for 2016–17.

Full-time tuition per semester for graduate/professional programs includes Cumberland School of Law, $18,664, a 2 percent increase; McWhorter School of Pharmacy, $18,150, a 2.5 percent increase; and Beeson Divinity School, $6,539, a 5 percent increase. Tuition and fees in other graduate and professional programs will vary by degree program, according to Brock.

“We are very grateful for the investment that families are making in a Samford education,” Brock said. “They have come to expect high-quality academic programs and cocurricular activities, and we are committed to finding balance between those expectations and affordability.”

A new greek life fee of $75 per semester is being added in 2016–17. Approximately 40 percent of Samford undergraduate students participate in greek life, and membership continues to grow, according to R. Phil Kimrey, Samford’s vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. The new fee will support programming, staffing and facilities. Earlier, trustees had approved preliminary concepts for construction of additional residence facilities that likely will be designated for new greek organizations.

“This fee will enhance Samford’s ability to respond to the need for increased advisory support, membership education and increased leadership development,” said. Kimrey. “We look forward to beginning a mutual dialogue for a quality Samford greek experience.”

Samford continues to enjoy a strong national reputation for its academic programs, Kimrey added. In 2015, Samford was ranked fourth in the South among regional universities by U.S. News & World Report, and in the top 100 nationally and first among all four-year institutions in Alabama by The Economist. In 2015, Samford also was recognized by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance as one of the top 50 in the “Best College Value” among private universities in the United States. 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.