II. Affordability and the ND Family

Over the past thirty years, the tuition price for a four year private college in the US has nearly doubled. And even with generous financial aid, for low income students, the cost of college can fall between 30%-70% of their family's annual income. Some scholars argue that the cost of college and the pressure to attend are profoundly changing middle class life in the US. Across the country, we are now weighing the economic, educational and personal value propositions of a college education. 

Against this backdrop, Notre Dame seeks to offer an unsurpassed undergraduate education that transforms the lives of students and their families. We find ourselves imagining what the gift of a Notre Dame education will look like in coming decades, and how as an institution we will make that gift  accessible to students and families.

Dive Deeper: "Higher Education Should Serve Entire Families, Not Just Students" (Forbes)

What will Notre Dame be like in 20 years if we are offering a truly unsurpassed undergraduate education?