The College's transfer term application fee increased from $25 to $1,100 dollars per term this past winter as part of the College's effort to close a $100 million budget deficit, Executive Vice President Steven Kadish said in a statement to The Dartmouth. The majority of students interviewed by The Dartmouth said the increased charge would not affect their decisions to participate in transfer terms, but that it may impact other students in the future if the costs continue to rise.
The transfer term application fee which is required for each transfer term taken by a student at an institution not affiliated with the College, and covers up to four Dartmouth credits per term was one of many potential changes considered as part of the College's Strategic Budget and Reduction Initiatives, Kadish said. The increased fee is more in line with practice at peer institutions but remains below the average, he said.
Through a review of peer practices, the College found that most Ivy League schools charged substantial fees for transfer terms or charged students full tuition "while making arrangements to pay the student's tuition at the other institution," Kadish said. This practice results in "hidden" fees ranging from $3,500 to $6,500, he said.
As part of the ongoing budget re-evaluation process, the College is considering another change to its transfer application fee process, which would likely go into effect next winter, according to Kadish.
"We would do this in a way that helps address Dartmouth's seasonality issue by encouraging more students to take their transfer terms in the fall when we tend to have a housing shortage," Kadish said.
Students who went abroad this winter were notified of the change in costs this fall, according to students interviewed by The Dartmouth.
Lisa Masini '13, who went abroad through Portland State University's Academy of Liberal & Beaux-Arts program in Barcelona during Winter 2011, said the increased price for transfer applications did not change her plans. Masini said she wished the College had notified students of the change earlier.
"It would have been nice to know last spring when we were deciding what to do for the winter," she said.
Hannah Decker '13, who also went abroad through the ALBA program last winter, said she heard about the pricing change through a friend. The College did not adequately publicize the new fee, Decker said.
Many students opt to take transfer terms because the College's course offerings do not fully accommodate their majors, schedules or interests, according to students interviewed by The Dartmouth.
Decker said she chose the ALBA program because she wanted to practice her Spanish but had filled her language requirement before arriving at the College. Decker, who was overqualified for the Language Study Abroad program but would have needed to take additional Spanish classes to qualify for the Foreign Study Program, said taking additional Spanish classes on campus would have prevented her from taking organic chemistry, a requirement for pre-med students.
Michael Schwartz '12 studied at Oxford University during Winter 2010 because he could not find a Dartmouth-sponsored program that satisfied requirements for his economics or Asian and Middle Eastern studies majors.
"I think it's pretty unfair that [the application fee] is so expensive, especially when transfer terms are so expensive," Schwartz said.
Schwartz said his transfer term cost more than a term at the College. The increased fee might affect students who would want to pursue similar programs, according to Schwartz.
"I'd imagine more kids would do Dartmouth programs or not go abroad at all," he said.
Higher costs associated with living abroad, combined with the increased transfer fee, might cause students "to think more carefully about studying abroad," Decker said.
Katie Randolph '14, who is deciding between pursuing a transfer term at the University of Otago in New Zealand or the University of Sydney in Australia next winter, said she was surprised to hear that the cost had risen so substantially.
"I think I am still pretty set on going to either of these two locations," she said. "I think that's a huge increase in money, though, and I'd like to see it better publicized why that change was made."
