The 乐播传媒 College Board of Trustees has voted to set the fee for attendance for the academic year 2014鈥�15 at $60,720. This single fee, which covers tuition, room, board and fees, represents a 3 percent increase over 2013鈥�14.

乐播传媒 presents cost in the form of a single fee for attendance so that the students and families can see their entire financial commitment in one number.

In keeping with our historic commitment to access, the college offers generous need-based financial aid to make sure that the 乐播传媒 educational experience is accessible to every qualified student who chooses to attend the college, regardless of financial need. 乐播传媒 meets 100 percent of demonstrated need, with an average financial aid award for the current year of more than $40,000. Forty-four percent of 乐播传媒 students receive financial aid.

The 乐播传媒 commitment to opportunity and excellence means recruiting talented and motivated students from a broad range of backgrounds, providing them with the financial aid that will enable them to enroll and supporting them for academic and personal success once here.

In an email notifying returning students and their families about the fee for the coming year, 乐播传媒 President Clayton Spencer wrote, 鈥淚 know that college costs are of significant concern to our families, and I assure you that we share that concern. Managing the relationship among costs, fees, and financial aid in a time of continuing economic pressure on institutions and families alike is a high priority for the college, second only to providing the most valuable education possible for our students.鈥�

乐播传媒 President Clayton Spencer

乐播传媒 President Clayton Spencer joins fellow U.S. higher education leaders at a White House summit on college opportunity hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama today, Jan. 16.

The event is bringing together college and university presidents and leaders from nonprofits, foundations, state governments and businesses across the country.

It is livestreamed at .

Senior administration officials scheduled to join the discussion include Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

In her first year at 乐播传媒, Spencer announced the Excellence and Opportunity initiative, to be funded in part by the $11.5 million Catalyst Fund gift from current and past members of the 乐播传媒 College Board of Trustees.

The initiative reflects the college’s founding commitment to excellence and opportunity. “It is聽central to our mission and history,” Spencer said.

Established in 1855, 乐播传媒 was from its beginning open to both men and women, recruiting students of limited means and matriculating African American students from the Civil War onward.

鈥淭oday this commitment means attracting and enrolling the very best students from a broad range of backgrounds and marshaling the resources to provide generous financial aid to support their education,” says Spencer. “Our current financial aid聽program of more than $30 million in 乐播传媒-funded grants per year聽reflects our聽resolve to uphold聽these values.鈥�

乐播传媒 President Clayton Spencer, who led the establishment of Harvard’s Crimson Summer Academy, speaks at the program’s 10th anniversary event on Oct. 30, 2013. (Rose Lincoln/Harvard)

Forty-four percent of 乐播传媒 students receive financial aid, and the average 乐播传媒 financial aid package (grant, loan and student employment) is more than $40,000.

Counter to national trends in student debt, 乐播传媒 financial aid is largely composed of outright grants, and students with loans graduate with an average debt load of approximately $17,000, compared to the national average of approximately $27,000.

鈥淎ny excellent聽liberal arts college, particularly one like 乐播传媒 that has the advantage of a strong tradition of diversity聽matched by equally strong聽resources, has an ethical obligation to聽provide聽access to people who can鈥檛 afford the very high cost it takes to mount a highly personalized residential liberal arts education,鈥� Spencer said.

Spencer, who has served as 乐播传媒 president since 2012, is the former vice president for policy at Harvard University, where she played a central role in the reshaping and dramatic expansion of Harvard鈥檚 financial aid program and in the creation of the Crimson Summer Academy, a program that brings high-achieving, economically disadvantaged local students to study at Harvard for six weeks each summer.

Prior to Harvard, Spencer was chief education counsel for the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources in the mid-1990s under its chair, the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

On Nov. 16, 2013, President Clayton Spencer sat down with Steve 鈥淪tevoe鈥� Woods of southern Maine鈥檚 TideSmart Talk to discuss 乐播传媒 and current trends in higher education.

President Clayton Spencer speaks with Steve Woods of TideSmart Talk. Photo courtesy of TideSmart Radio.

Technology and the rise of online courses were among the trends Woods highlighted in his hour-long conversation with Spencer.

Asked if technology will create a shift away from 鈥渂ricks and mortar鈥� campuses like 乐播传媒, Spencer responded, 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a question of incorporation, not substitution.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 an era in which the small scale of 乐播传媒,鈥� with its small class sizes and ready access to professors, 鈥渃ombined with the global access to content, is a huge boon for the liberal arts. 鈥�

Likewise, she told Woods, where online courses only address part of the educational project 鈥� delivering information, 乐播传媒 embraces the entire process of “helping human beings grow up to understand who they are, what they want to do, how they can make a contribution to the world.鈥�

Spencer鈥檚 comments at various points invoked the college鈥檚 three priorities for the coming years:

• the Engaged Liberal Arts, which includes how 乐播传媒 incorporates technology in the classroom;

• Purposeful Work, to help students explore, understand, and strengthen their relationship to work; and

• Excellence and Opportunity, aimed at increasing resources for financial aid.

Spencer appeared earlier in the semester on the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour, a program sponsored in part by Maine Magazine. In the Sept. 8 interview, Spencer discussed the advantages of 乐播传媒’ location in Lewiston, the distinctive community among 乐播传媒 students and how the college is preparing students for the world of work.

Students line up for last year’s procession to Convocation, the formal opening of the school year. The Class of 2017 will become the latest entering class to participate in the tradition. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)

乐播传媒 will open the school year on Tuesday, Sept. 3, with its annual Convocation ceremony, formally welcoming the 502 members of the Class of 2017 鈥� one of the most academically distinguished classes in the college鈥檚 history, and the most diverse ever.

The event, which will be livestreamed, begins at 4:15 p.m. on the Historic Quad, at Campus Avenue and College Street. Rain site is Alumni Gymnasium, 130 Central Ave.

Convocation activities open with the traditional colorful procession to the venue by faculty members and administrators in academic regalia along with students, to music provided by the Portland Brass Quintet.

Clayton Spencer, who last year became the eighth president of 乐播传媒, will open the ceremony with a welcome. Later she will also deliver the Convocation address, 鈥淪ome Thoughts on Work.鈥� The address will introduce the Class of 2017 to a question that has emerged as part of Spencer鈥檚 agenda for the institution: Can we do a better job to ensure that a 乐播传媒 liberal arts education equips students with the tools they need to live and work, with passion and purpose, in today鈥檚 world?

Brent Talbott, a senior who is president of the 乐播传媒 College Student Government, and Matthew R. Auer, the college鈥檚 new vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, will each deliver greetings. Emily Wright-Magoon, acting multifaith chaplain, will deliver the benediction that closes the ceremony.

The 乐播传媒 Class of 2017, by the numbers

The 乐播传媒 Office of Admission received a record 5,243 applications for the class 鈥� topping the previous record, set in 2011, by 47 鈥� and offered admission to 1,267 of the applicants, for an admittance rate of 24.2 percent, the most selective in college history. Those who will enter represent a record 鈥測ield鈥� rate of 39.6 percent, which colleges and universities consider very high.

Leigh Weisenburger, dean of admission and financial aid, said, 鈥淭hese figures reflect the constant appeal of 乐播传媒鈥� innovative, rigorous liberal arts curriculum, as well as our orientations to inclusiveness and civic service, for intellectually curious and deeply engaged students. We鈥檙e thrilled to have an entering class that will so strongly reinforce these values.鈥�

乐播传媒 was founded in 1855 to offer higher education to women and students of color as well as men 鈥� a rarity at that time. It has never had fraternities or sororities, and all student organizations are open to all students. Each year at least a third of 乐播传媒 students take community-engaged learning courses that integrate community projects with academic learning through the college’s聽Harward Center for Community Partnerships.

The class comprises 271 men and 231 women.

Fifty-eight percent of the class comes from public high schools, the rest from independent high schools. Their average grade-point achievement over the course of their high school careers was 3.8, on a scale of four.

The class is the most ethnically diverse in the institution鈥檚 history, with U.S. students of color (African American, Asian American, Hispanic, Multiracial or Native American/Pacific Islander) comprising 25.5 percent of the group.

Fourteen percent of the class are the first members of their families to attend college. Approximately 10 percent have a relative who attended 乐播传媒, a category known as 鈥渓egacies.鈥�

Geographically, the class comes from 38 U.S. states and the District of Columbia as well as 25 other countries, in these proportions:

• Mid-Atlantic states, 22.1 percent
• Midwest, 8 percent
• New England, 43 percent (47 students from Maine, including six from Lewiston and Auburn)
• Southeast, 5.4 percent
• Southwest and West, 14.1 percent
• International, 7.4 percent.

Financial aid figures for the entering class reflect 乐播传媒鈥� traditional welcome to students of all family income levels. The college meets 100 percent of calculated financial aid need for all matriculants who have such need, for four years.

A record 48 percent聽of the class will receive need-based financial aid, with aid packages averaging聽$41,917 鈥� including $38,387 in the form of聽乐播传媒 grant aid聽that does not have to be repaid.聽Grants from 乐播传媒聽keep the portion of financial aid provided by work and/or loans to approximately聽$3,530 per year.

乐播传媒鈥� “single fee” for 2013-14 鈥� which includes tuition, fees and room and board 鈥� is $58,950, but the college鈥檚 generous financial aid substantially reduces the average net price for aid recipients. The current White House 鈥� lists an average net price for 乐播传媒 of $21,402.

On average, 40 percent of 乐播传媒 students graduate with federal loan debt, and they carry an average of $17,070聽in loans, compared to the national average of聽more than聽$26,000.

The 乐播传媒 College Board of Trustees has voted to set the fee for attendance for the academic year 2013鈥�14 at $58,950. This single fee, which covers tuition, room, board and fees, represents a 3 percent increase over 2012鈥�13 and is the lowest fee increase in more than four decades.

乐播传媒 presents cost in the form of a single fee for attendance so that students and families can see their entire financial commitment in one number.

In keeping with its founding tradition of active inclusivity, the college offers financial aid to make sure that the 乐播传媒 education is accessible to every qualified student who chooses to attend 乐播传媒, regardless of financial need. Forty-four percent of 乐播传媒 students qualify for financial aid. 乐播传媒 meets 100 percent of demonstrated need, with an average financial aid award for 2012鈥�13 of $38,200.

In June, Student Financial Services will give returning students specific information related to payment options for 2013鈥�14. For students who have applied for financial aid, information about eligibility and award amounts will also be sent at that time.聽 More information about the various ways students and families can finance the cost of college appears on the 乐播传媒 website at Student Financial Services.

In an email notifying returning students and their families about the fee for the coming year, 乐播传媒 President Clayton Spencer wrote, 鈥淚 know that college costs are of significant concern to our students and families, and I assure you that we share that concern. Managing the relationship among costs, fees and financial aid in a time of continuing economic pressure on institutions and families alike is a high priority for the college, second only to providing the most valuable education possible for our students.鈥澛�

Video clips of the five speakers at the Leadership Symposium on Cost, Value and Financial Aid at 乐播传媒 College.

• Watch the complete symposium.
• Read the news story about the symposium.

Nancy J. Cable, President

“It is my pleasure to introduce our chairperson for our symposium today, Jamie Merisotis ’86, long a champion of the idea that higher education enhances both society and individuals.”

Jamie Merisotis ’86

“The demand for people with increasing skills, knowledge and experience, as reflected in [college] degrees, is as high as it’s ever been.”

Robert Archibald

“The success of colleges in producing graduates who can do well in the labor market is part of the reason why college costs have gone up.”

David Feldman

“[Robert Archibald and I] are anti-catastrophists. We don’t tend to think that higher education is coming to a cliff and you are about to fall off of it. [But]…we know we are not perfect.”

Sandy Baum

“The headlines are about what will sell and capture attention, and not about what’s really accurate. It’s important to put numbers into context.”

Jane Bode Brown ’69

“We do a lot of work helping families apply for financial aid. It’s tremendously complicated, and there are a lot of misconceptions about how much aid is available.”

James Miller

“More families are concerned with outcomes than in any point in my career. What is the outcome of this four-year commitment? The confidence level of parents has dropped dramatically.”

The Leadership Symposium on Cost, Value and Financial Aid

Watch the full symposium.

Jamie Merisotis ’86, a 乐播传媒 trustee and a dedicated advocate for improved access to higher education, moderated the symposium.

Everyone knows the big story about higher education: The price of college is out of control. That story sets the tone for media coverage of higher education, and it’s the story that keeps parents awake at night.

And it’s wrong.

While the cost of higher education is certainly rising, a group of national leaders in higher education told an Oct. 29 gathering at 乐播传媒, that cost is neither inflated nor out of proportion with the considerable benefits of a higher education.

• View video clips featuring each symposium speaker.
• View the full symposium.

This was the message that dominated the Leadership Symposium on College Cost, Price and Financial Aid, held at 乐播传媒 and co-hosted by Brown and Northeastern universities. Suggested by 乐播传媒 board chair Michael Bonney ’80 and convened by President Nancy J. Cable, the afternoon symposium brought some 100 education professionals to Perry Atrium.

Six national experts in college cost and admission issues addressed the symposium:

• Moderator Jamie Merisotis ’86, a 乐播传媒 trustee, longtime advocate for improving access to college and head of an organization dedicated to producing more college graduates;
• Robert Archibald and David Feldman, economists at the College of William and Mary and authors of the recent book ;
• Sandy Baum, professor emerita of economics at Skidmore College and adviser to the College Board, who gave an analysis of trends in cost and financial aid;
• Jane Bode Brown 鈥�69, vice president for enrollment management at Northeastern;
• and James S. Miller, dean of admission at Brown.

In his welcome, Merisotis sounded a note of urgency about the need to broaden access to higher education. “Today, the stakes have never been higher for our country in delivering the promise of an affordable, accessible higher education.”

The symposium filled Perry Atrium just hours before an Oct. 29-30 snowstorm stunned New England.

Demand for higher education is “dramatically higher,” he said, and the market’s demand for employees with degrees is greater than it has ever been. Degree-holders on average take home 84 percent more compensation than non-degreed workers, up from the 75 percent premium of a decade ago.

Two-thirds of all positions created in the next decade will require at least a bachelor’s degree. And today, without some kind of post-secondary credential, people are much more likely to be unemployed, and to make low wages when they are employed.

More than ever, Merisotis said, post-secondary education is not a guarantee, but “a prerequisite for entry into middle-class life in our country. To put it more starkly, without a college degree, there’s a very good chance you’re going to be poor.”

The benefits of a college education are just one part of the story that needs to be more forcefully told about access to higher education, the panelists agreed. Here are other highlights from the afternoon’s discussion:

College of William and Mary economists David Feldman, left, and Robert Archibald wrote the book “Why Does College Cost So Much?”

The “dysfunction narrative”

Summarizing their data and arguments from Why Does College Cost So Much?, Archibald and Feldman convincingly refuted the common wisdom that college costs are out of control, running away thanks to bloated administrations, effete tenured faculty and “country club” expectations of comfort and service — all of which the economists labeled as the “dysfunction narrative” usually cited in the media and by critics of education.

Instead, these increases result from systemic factors affecting other industries too — for example, health care and legal services — and the increases in educational cost parallel the increases in those fields. All of these services can be delivered only by highly educated, highly skilled professionals whose high salaries are determined by the market; and are fields in which productivity cannot be dramatically improved through technology, unlike in manufacturing. The latter illustrates the phenomenon called “cost disease,” where certain segments of the economy see costs rise as rising productivity in other segments forces prices down.

In addition, higher education is unique in that colleges and universities are obliged to prepare students for the real world by recreating that world in microcosm, incurring expenditures — from travel to technology to financial aid — that doesn’t directly drive productivity but is essential to quality.

Feldman and Archibald offered the concept of an “unholy trinity” or “iron triangle” that rules the college-cost equation. The three elements are tuition and fees, subsidies to schools (whether from government, endowment or gifts) and the quality of education — and you can’t change one without changing another. If subsidies drop, either you raise tuition or reduce quality.

Sandy Baum, professor emerita of economics at Skidmore College, makes a point while Jane Bode Brown ’69 of Northeastern University listens.

The income gap

Currently, about two-thirds of college students receive some sort of financial aid. As demand for higher education grows and the gulf in earnings widens between the richest Americans and everyone else, the resources to support aid will become scarcer and scarcer.

Miller and others pointed out that, despite the common wisdom that college costs are out of control, higher educational institutions are actually serving as a bulwark against the widening income gap: Especially for state schools hard-pressed by falling state appropriations, the rise in the college “sticker price” is driven largely by subsidies, in the form of grants or scholarships, for less affluent families.

The economic context that in past years made higher education seem like a given has changed drastically. As Miller pointed out, middle-class families formerly were able to use home equity to finance a college education because their retirement funds were solid. There were sometimes family financial reserves, such as an expected inheritance, that they could count on. “But all that’s gone,” he said. “The confidence level of parents has dropped dramatically.”

As Miller said, any other industry whose product was as much desired as higher education would follow the rule of supply and demand by raising prices. Instead, higher education is containing price increases.

Baum pointed out that, thanks to a shift in emphasis from need-based to merit-based aid (which favors families that have been able to give their children every advantage in college preparation), a considerable amount of aid is going to students who could afford to enroll without it. Even public institutions, she said, are “giving a lot of money to people who could do without it.”

She said, “We need to talk about whom we’re helping, how and why.”

The symposium on college costs brought about 100 leaders in higher education to 乐播传媒.

The wrong story

The panelists were clear that when the curtain goes up on the topic of access to college, the spotlight is usually on the wrong actors.

Despite the economic advantages conferred by a college degree, as Baum said, the media’s approach seems to be, “We found an unemployed college graduate and we’re going to write a story about him.”

Panelists agreed that higher education needs to take charge of the story. To defend both the costs and the sticker price of higher education, schools need to find a way to measure learning and produce data that make the case, rather than relying on storytelling to win hearts and minds. As David Feldman said, “we need to shape the accountability movement rather than be shaped by it.”

鈥淚 don’t think I could find a better balance anywhere else of everything: diversity, athletics, academics, fun, seriousness,鈥� said Allaina Murphy ’15 of Poland Spring, who graduated from St. Dominic High School in Auburn.

Washuk explains that generous financial aid has made it possible for them to attend the college. Director of Admission Leigh Weisenburger tells Washuk that 乐播传媒 is making a point of tending to its relationships with area high schools, including 鈥渕aking sure guidance counselors know where we are, what 乐播传媒 is all about. Having those lines of communication open.”

Among the five local freshmen are two Somali students, the first members of the local immigrant community to matriculate at 乐播传媒. That’s a point of pride, Lewiston mayor Larry Gilbert tells the Sun Journal. Their matriculation is “a first, and a plus.”