By Federico Burlon

The Board of Trustees discussed and approved tuition costs for the ’07-’08 academic year at its meeting in January. The cost of tuition, released to Macalester parents this week in a letter from President Brian Rosenberg, will be $41,914. This cost includes tuition, room, board and an activity fee.
Up $2,894 from this year’s $39,020 cumulative total, the total increase is 7.4 percent. Tuition will be $33,494, an 8.5 percent increase. Room and board cost, at $8,220, amount to a 3 percent increase over this year. The activity fee will increase by $32, which will go towards supporting a growing number of activities funded by the Macalester College Student Government (MCSG), according to the letter.
“As the world your children will inhabit grows more interconnected, we have worked to reinforce our longstanding commitment to the education of leaders for local, national and international communities,” the letter read.
Rosenberg cited an increase in funds allotted to study abroad, continuing to bring speakers such as Kofi Annan and Toni Morrison, an expansion in instruction in Chinese, the addition of a Middle Eastern Studies program, and the current athletic facility construction as reasons for a price increase.
“Indeed,” the letter said, “we believe that the value of an investment in a Macalester education—both financial and personal—has never been greater.”

At the same time, the letter noted that 35 of the top 40 liberal arts colleges in the most recent US News and World Report college guides are more expensive than Macalester.