Dear Undergraduate Students and Families,
Earlier this month we shared Georgetown’s plan for Fall 2020. In recognition of the impacts of COVID-19 and our plans for returning students to campus, we have examined our undergraduate student tuition, fees, housing and dining charges.
In order to reduce density on our campus and in our residence halls, we are planning to begin the Fall semester by limiting the number of undergraduates on our campus to approximately 2,000, including the following groups of students:
- Members of the first-year class, the Class of 2024;
- Students whose personal or family situation makes it impossible or unrealistic to pursue their studies at their permanent address;
- A limited number of seniors and other students whose graduation requirements and academic program present the greatest need to have an on-campus presence; and,
- Some student Resident Assistants to support this small residential community.
Our ability to implement this plan is dependent on DC government approval and the course of the pandemic.
To further support the health of our community, we have altered the undergraduate academic calendar to reduce the amount of travel by buses, trains and airplanes during the term. This is an effort to reduce the risk of infection for students, faculty and staff. Except for some early offerings, classes will begin on August 26, the Labor Day and mid-semester holiday will be eliminated, and the last hybrid mode undergraduate class on Main Campus will be on November 20, with the remainder of classes to be held in virtual mode only through December 8. Most undergraduates in Main Campus residence halls will depart their residence halls after their last on-campus class on November 20, and will remain at their home location rather than return to campus after Thanksgiving.
For those students on campus, the University is implementing a number of steps to support their health and safety. These include, among other things, personal daily symptom screening; viral testing; enhanced cleaning of common spaces; extra food service precautions; reconfigured spaces to account for physical distancing; and housing all students in single-occupancy bedrooms.
For the Fall semester, 2020, students who are not invited back to campus will receive a 10 percent reduction in tuition. The University takes this step in recognition that undergraduate students who return to campus will have access to certain services that will be unavailable to off-campus students.
Students invited back to live on campus will be charged the previously announced tuition for Fall 2020. However, in recognition of the impacts of the health precautions on residence life, they will be charged the lower double-occupancy rate instead of the higher single-occupancy rate for their housing. Further, both housing and dining charges will be reduced by 20 percent to account for the shorter length of the semester. Eligibility for financial aid will be reviewed by the Office of Student Financial Services, and any aid offered will be revised where necessary to incorporate these and any future changes in our tuition, housing and dining charges. If, prior to the start of the Fall semester, public health concerns preclude having any undergraduates on campus, all undergraduates will receive the 10 percent discount.
Regardless of whether courses use in-person or virtual instructional modes, all undergraduate students will continue to receive an impactful, quality Georgetown education. Faculty members are planning new and innovative ways to use virtual learning technologies, and we are planning events and access to speakers from around the world that make the most of the online platform. Our staff members in the Office of Students Affairs are working on inventive ways to create virtual events that support clubs and affinity groups. And Georgetown’s vital student services will continue to be available to all students.
We recognize the significant investments students and families make to pursue a Georgetown education. We continue to minimize tuition increases, and we maintain our deep commitment to attracting the most promising students regardless of their financial circumstances. To support that commitment, Georgetown continues to be one of only a few dozen colleges that maintains a “need-blind” admissions and a “meet-full-need” financial aid program for undergraduates, meaning that every student admitted to Georgetown through a rigorous selection process can attend regardless of their ability to pay. Our commitment to these values remains strong, and during this unprecedented and challenging time we will continue to work to aid all students in need of financial assistance.
Due to the dynamic nature of the pandemic, we have not made any decision on tuition beyond the Fall 2020 semester. Please know that University leaders, faculty and staff take your financial burden seriously and work hard each year to reduce direct costs and increase philanthropic support for scholarships. For more information, please refer to our list of answers to frequently asked questions or call the COVID-19 helpline at 202-784-3510, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET Monday-Friday.
Sincerely,
Robert M. Groves, Provost
Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer