I just read this announcement on Pace University’s website.
Announcement: Starting in fall 2019, all Pace Performing Arts programs will be subject to a $2,500 per semester program fee for new students. Additional information regarding fall 2019/spring 2020 tuition will be posted at a later date.
Can anyone tell me what this is about or who I should contact to find out more? My neighbor’s daughter went to Pace Performing Arts last year and they don’t have this fee. Pace is my son’s dream but this changes the tuition we were planning on based on the information they gave us when we visited admissions and toured.
I think you’ll need to wait for “a later date” to find out more since it’s a new fee starting next Fall. That is a huge increase, it does change tuition substantially.
I called performing arts and they redirected me to admissions stating, “the fee was not something we implemented and you can contact admissions to have them explain it” I called Admissions the first person I spoke with seemed surprised. The next person said it was due to the overwhelming demand and popularity of the performing arts. The whole thing feels really yucky… and like a lux tax or some sort of premium. I asked what was different about past years and this coming year and no one could explain it to me.
I’s not sure I can send my child to Pace now.
Since they really couldn’t explain that fee, once your son gets in, you might try talking to both admissions and to financial aid and asking if they can remove it from your bill via, for example, some non-loan merit aid, renewable each year.
If you are a NY State resident, and your son is into performing arts, have you looked at SUNY Purchase and SUNY New Paltz? Both are good for performing arts; Purchase is elite. Even if you don’t qualify for the Empire Scholarship, their lower, in-state rate on tuition could make them cheaper than Pace for you.
If you are a NY’er, you should also consider SUNY Fredonia. It is much better known for performing arts than New Paltz. Purchase offers only BFA Acting, while Fredonia offers BFA MT, as well.
Pace was on my son’s radar when we were searching 2 years ago. He is in tech. He visited and loved the school. I did not love the costs and his grades and test scores weren’t good enough to get the kind of merit aid that would have made Pace a viable candidate, even if he commuted.