Centenary’s CAP Initiative: Increasing Access to Education
Photo by Centenary College Marketing & Communication
Beginning in the Fall 2022 semester, Centenary College of Louisiana will cover the remaining cost of tuition for new Pell and TOPS awarded students via the Centenary Affordability Pledge. By funding the Pell and TOPS students’ full tuition for up to four years, Centenary College hopes to make liberal-arts education more accessible and affordable for students. According to the Centenary College of Louisiana’s website, the CAP initiative is intended to help students with this cost by providing “eligible Louisiana students with up to four years of full tuition,” as noted by Centenary’s webpage on CAP.
According to the Centenary website and univstats.com, the tuition for the 2022-23 school year at Centenary College is $38,820, compared to the Louisiana average of $7,551 for in-state students. The over $30,000 difference in cost makes attending a college like Centenary difficult for some students. This difference is ever increasing as a “2% increase in tuition” has occurred for 2022-2023 Centenary College, according to an email sent out to students in early December. Such an increase is standard for the college but is the first increase in 2 years due to COVID-19.
What makes Centenary different from other schools in Louisiana that justifies that $30,000 price tag? According to the Centenary website, the tuition is for “an opportunity to earn up to 40 hours of coursework per year at no additional cost.” Tuition also covers “innovative hybrid semesters” like Centenary in Paris.
Photo by Centenary College Marketing & Communication
As the Centenary Affordability Pledge stands currently, there will likely be no retroactive application to current or past students at Centenary College. “[The CAP initiative] will help more students apply to Centenary who might otherwise not because of the cost,” said Reece Maguire, a sophomore at Centenary. “I think it’s a really smart way to give students of all backgrounds an equal opportunity.” Besides expanding access to education, the CAP might have other effects, like increased enrollment and engagement on campus. By giving more students who might not have the opportunity otherwise access to liberal-arts education, Centenary College is taking a step in the direction of progress and opportunity for the Shreveport community and for Louisiana.