May 18, 2010

William & Mary Gets a New Mascot and Raises Tuition


Between hefty tuition increases and the on-campus arrival of a new mascot, recent news from Williamsburg has been good, bad and a little costly.

First the bad news. Two full weeks after requiring prospective freshmen to send in deposits and commit unconditionally to fall attendance, William & Mary finally announced how much it was going to cost. And not surprisingly, tuition went up.

Already the most expensive public institution in the Commonwealth for Virginia residents, the College of William & Mary raised tuition and fees by $1,088 or 9.8 percent for the 2010-11 academic year. The total cost for in-state undergrads, including room and board, quietly broke the $20,000 barrier and rose to $20,872. UVa remains just below $20,000 for residents.

And the news for out-of-state students was even worse. Tuition and fees (alone) for out-of-state undergraduates will increase by $2,500 to $33,764, making William & Mary the most expensive Virginia public institution for those students as well (UVa’s tuition is about $200 less). Including room and board, students coming from outside of Virginia will now pay $42,448 or more than double what is asked of Virginians.

But now for the good news. After an exhaustive search, including substantial input from visitors to a website set up for the purpose of commenting on various mascot options, the College of William & Mary recently announced the arrival of its new mascot, the Griffin—a mythical creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion.

“The Griffin has joined the Tribe,” said William & Mary president Taylor Reveley, who unveiled the new mascot at a campus-wide event. “With its arrival, we now have a mascot that unites strength with intelligence, recalls our royal origins, and speaks to our deep roots in American history.”

Hopefully, the Griffin also has deep pockets.



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