Prices have gone up on a lot of things, but not for an education at some upstate colleges.
Herkimer College is not raising their tuition, housing costs and other fees.
“I think the biggest thing for me is just the people here," said Herkimer College student Ryan Cook. "I've always I've always said that to my family and friends and people that have been considering this. The people here are great.”
Cook is especially pleased with his decision as he hears of Herkimer’s commitment to freeze tuition, as well as fees and housing costs.
“We looked at the impact right now of high inflation on families, and we wanted to combat that by keeping tuition the same as prior year," said Herkimer Officer-in-Charge Nicholas Laino.
“It sets me up a lot better for my future. Just having affordable school is definitely a big thing. My parents have told me, you know, go somewhere where you can. It's affordable for you. And so you don't have to live with a lot of debt and student loans the rest of your life," Cook said.
For the fourth year in a row, Herkimer staff said full-time tuition will stay at $2,558 per semester. Part-time tuition is sticking at $189 per credit hour.
Laino said affordability is a top priority at the school.
“We always look at the least amount of impact for financial needs for the students that are coming to school here. And I can't look in a crystal ball and see where we'll be next year. But we always strive to keep the cost as low as possible," Laino said.
Laino said this is the first year since the height of the pandemic that Herkimer has seen an uptick in enrollment.
“That's affordable and at a good price. With good people, there's not a lot of better things you can get," said Cook.
Herkimer College's course-material delivery program, BookMarket, is also staying at the same price of $24 per credit hour.
SUNY Niagara has also frozen tuition at the school’s current cost of $2,568 per semester for New York residents for fiscal year 2024-2025.