Soka University Announces New Tuition Policy

Tuition is free for admitted students whose families make $60,000 or less

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., March 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an effort to promote greater diversity and access to higher education, the Board of Trustees for Soka University of America in south Orange County, CA has approved a new tuition policy. Beginning in the 2008-2009 academic year, all admitted students to the BA in Liberal Arts program whose annual family income is $60,000 or less will receive free tuition. Room and board fees will still apply.

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"Soka University is proud to be one of the few private colleges in California who have been able to offer this exceptional opportunity to outstanding students whose families might not otherwise be able to support their educational dreams," said SUA president Daniel Y. Habuki. "We hope this offer opens doors for many current high school students who have never considered attending a private university because of cost." Dr. Habuki noted that the offer applies to both US and International students admitted to the undergraduate program.

"The Mission of Soka University is to foster a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life," he added. "We are proud of our graduates, some of whom have been accepted to prestigious graduate programs at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, USC, Columbia, UC Berkeley, UCI, Georgetown and others. Our goal is to help each student develop their unique skills to give back to their communities and countries."

Tuition at Soka University for the 2008-2009 academic year is $23,434, and room and board is $9,000. About 80% of SUA students currently receive some form of financial aid. All students live in campus residence halls. A laptop computer and a semester abroad during the junior year are included in tuition.

Soka University of America is a private, non-profit, four-year liberal arts college and graduate school offering a 9:1 student/faculty ratio (average class size of 13) and study abroad for all undergraduate students. SUA features a non-sectarian curriculum and is open to top students of all nationalities. About half of Soka's students come from the United States and half from 30 other countries. Soka University is proudly founded upon the Buddhist principles of peace, human rights and the sanctity of life. For more information see http://www.soka.edu.