By Sydney Owens

Despite promises made in her 2016 inaugural address to reduce university reliance upon tuition increases, Loyola University Chicago President Jo Ann Rooney announced through email on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 that undergraduate tuition will increase by 3.3 percent for the 2019-20 school year. Rooney attributes this increase to things like infrastructure improvements, moderate raises for faculty and staff, and decreasing state and federal funding.

According to the Chicago Tribune, enrollment at private non-profit institutions, like Loyola, has increased by 22 percent since 1996. Pairing this with the lack of funding for research grants, need-based grants, and other state aid due to the IL budget crisis, it is clear why private and public university costs have skyrocketed.

With that being said, Loyola has been making significant improvements to their athletic facilities over the last 2 years. In Nov. 2017, the athletics department announced in a press release that Gentile Arena would be getting several new enhancements that would “positively impact the overall fan experience.” Those enhancements included various LED display screens and the relocation of the student section.

When The Phoenix asked about the costs for these enhancements, the athletics department refused to comment since Loyola is a private institution. However, it was later revealed in an interview by ESPN with head coach Porter Moser that Loyola spent $1.4 million on the updates.

In addition to Gentile Arena improvements, Loyola also began construction in April 2018 on its new $18.5 million practice facility for the basketball and volleyball teams. The building, named the Alfie Norville Practice Facility, is mostly being funded by donations from Al Norville, but according to The Phoenix, Loyola’s associate vice president for facilities Kana Henning claims the remaining $1-2 million will come from university capital, or in other words tuition. According to Loyola officials, the teams have been practicing in Loyola’s community fitness center in Halas Recreation Center.

In regards to pay raises for faculty and staff impacting tuition, Loyola was under fire in April 2018 when Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 conducted protests due to failed negotiations with Loyola’s administration regarding job security, benefits, and pay. Students, faculty, and staff were all encouraged by the Union to walk out during class on April 4. Agreements between SEIU and Loyola were made in late April, offering non-tenure employees with more competitive pay, better job stability, and other employment incentives.

When considering all of these changes at Loyola combined with inflation and rising higher education costs all over the country, it is obvious why Loyola feels the need to increase tuition for the 2019-2020 school year. However, many students question whether or not some of these changes, specifically within the athletic department, are necessary and worth the extra costs added to tuition.

Isabella Van Stedum, a 3rd-year Film and Digital Media student at Loyola, claims that she is lucky enough to receive financial help for tuition from her parents, the government, and through merit scholarships. Even with so much help, however, she states that she will be “in terrible debt after college.”

Van Stedum calls the new athletic facility an “eye roll” and says that this money should be used to create new academic opportunities for students in whichever career field they wish to pursue.

Similarly, Vanessa Reese, another 3rd-year Film and Digital Media student at Loyola, says that she “doesn’t really understand the point of [the new athletic facility].”

With her parents funding her education mostly, along with government assistance and merit scholarships, Reese knows that her parents “aren’t thrilled” about the increase, but they understand that it was their choice as a family to choose a private university and are prepared to deal with the consequences.