NJ University Freezes Tuition As Student Financial Woes Grow

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ – Centenary University has decided to freeze tuition prices at their current levels for the 2024-2025 academic year, according to university officials.

Along with both undergraduate and graduate program tuition being frozen, the university has pledged to freeze the costs of living in residence halls on campus. Costs for meal plans will rise six percent as a result of rising food prices from the university’s official food service provider.

“At Centenary, we are very aware that families today are dealing with rising costs for many of life’s basic necessities—housing, food, and transportation,” said Karolina Wolfe, Centenary University Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “With this year’s delays in processing FAFSA applications, our students—many of whom are first-generation college students—had no idea how much federal financial aid to expect. The national economy is tough for everyone right now, and Centenary hopes to remove some of the uncertainty about paying for college.”

During the past academic year, Centenary has taken several steps to make tuition more manageable for students.

Through Centenary Now: The Campaign for College & Opportunity for Everyone raised more than $100,000 for first-generation college students and those that face financial challenges. Along with this, the Reeves Foundation 2-for-1 Challenge will generate $1 million to fund scholarships for Overlook Hospital registered nurses to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Centenary. A new Working Degree Program was launched through an $8 million capital campaign, with the program providing discounted tuition for working adults pursuing specific bachelor’s degrees.

Last spring the university introduced Cyclone Concierge, which provides a five percent tuition discount to incoming first-year students that submit their deposit by published dates.
Centenary awards approximately $20 million in scholarships, grants and awards to students each year.

At the university, all incoming first-year students receive either a grant or scholarship to assist with financial costs. Almost all transfer students receive a grant or scholarship as well.