Why is GWs tuition so high?
GW lags behind other universities in endowment resources per student, and consequently relies heavily on tuition and student fees to fund its annual operating budget. Approximately 90% of the total operating budget is funded by students compared to roughly 70% at other major institutions. Alumni contributions at the top schools pay for more than 30 percent of the operating budget, compared to just 10 percent at GW. Out of the $118 million paid for financial aid last year, most came from tuition dollars, with only $2 million from the endowment. Tuition revenue currently funds 86 percent of all financial aid. GW’s tuition dependence and lack of endowment resources has been a major factor in the rise of tuition. GW recently launched a five-year plan to address affordability and cost. This plan includes a goal of quadrupling annual fund raising for student aid from $10 million to $40 million within five years. GW’s need-based financial aid package ranked No. 3 in the country according to U
