Bergen Tuition-Freeze Extended Through Aug. 1
PARAMUS, N.J. – Bergen Community College has extended its popular “inflation-busters” tuition freeze initiative through Aug. 1, giving students additional time to register for fall 2022 classes under the fall 2019 tuition rate ($146.50 per credit for Bergen County residents). The College’s latest student affordability program has already encouraged 4,743 students to register for fall classes.
“The overwhelming response to ‘inflation-busters’ has prompted us to extend the program,” Bergen President Eric M. Friedman, Ph.D., said. “Students now have an extra month to register under the initiative and realize further tuition savings. As we have maintained throughout the pandemic and prior to it, we will continue to develop creative strategies that remove burdens borne by our students.”
The College froze tuition rates during the entirety of the pandemic, opting for zero percent increases in 2020-21 and 2021-22 in light of the challenges experienced by students. Tuition and fees vary depending on residency, academic program and other factors - please visit Bergen.edu/bursar for a complete schedule.
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on personal finances prompted Bergen to deploy numerous strategies aimed at making education more affordable. Among them, the College leveraged nearly $5 million of federal pandemic relief funds to satisfy the outstanding balances of students with past-due tuition bills. The effort impacted more than 2,000 students. The College also used federal funds to launch tuition-free enrollment at its Child Development Center for 25 student-parents at the College and offered degree-seeking students the opportunity to take up to six credits of 2022 summer classes tuition-free.
The creative tactics caught the eye of the federal government - First Lady Jill Biden, Ed.D., and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Ed.D., visited the College in January to recognize Bergen as a national model for student support.
On Aug. 1, the College will implement an average increase of two percent in tuition and fees for the 2022-23 academic year due to non-discretionary cost increases - including in energy, insurance and maintenance. Students can avoid this increase by registering for fall classes prior to the deadline.
Students should also consider filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applying for financial aid helps students unlock additional tuition assistance programs that can even make Bergen tuition-free. Students become eligible for many of the programs, including the state’s Community College Opportunity Grant, which offers a tuition-free Bergen experience to students in households earning $65,000 or less, by filing the FAFSA.
Bergen offers more than 130 degree and certificate programs in areas such as aviation, criminal justice, dental hygiene, fashion design and hospitality. For more information, or to apply, visit Bergen.edu.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
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