Westfield State University freezes tuition and fees for 2021–22

Feb 24, 2021
The globe sculpture on the campus green with the Ely Campus Center in the background

Westfield State University will maintain its current undergraduate tuition and mandatory fee rates for the 2021–22 academic year to help its returning and prospective students through the financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The University’s Board of Trustees approved the rates at its Feb. 9, 2021, public meeting.

“Westfield State prides itself on a student-centered approach,” said Daniel Forster, University’s vice president for enrollment management. “We are pleased to help ease the burden of many students and families during this difficult time. Offering accessible, quality programs is central to the mission of Westfield State.”

Full-time in-state undergraduate students pay $11,139 in tuition and fees. Campus housing costs range from $7,700 to $8,500—depending on the residence option selected—while a full meal plan charge is $4,500.

In addition, tuition and fees for the vast majority of the University's graduate programs have also been frozen for the 2021–22 academic year.

Westfield State typically enlists minimal annual increases in fees to accommodate and serve students, comparable to its Massachusetts state university sister institutions. At the same time, however, the amount of financial aid available to Westfield State students and families has increased in the past four years: In 2017, $2.7 million in institutional financial aid was distributed; in 2020, $3.3 million was allotted.

In addition to the temporary freeze on tuition and fees and the increased Financial Aid, Westfield State’s recent announcement of the Paul W. Dower Live Strong Excellence Award will provide further help by rewarding high-achieving prospective students with an annual $10,000 scholarship for four years. It is the first such scholarship for the University.

“Mr. Dower’s transformational gift will help aspiring scholars for generations to come,” said Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D. interim president. “We are proud to offer such a scholarship for the first time at Westfield State, beginning this fall.”