The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is increasing enrollment for programs such as BYU-Pathways and BYU-Idaho while controlling costs during this time of inflation.
Past and current Church leaders have emphasized to members that higher education is strongly encouraged.
“In our Church … we teach that the glory of God is intelligence. We believe also that the glory of man is likewise intelligence,” Elder Mark E. Peterson, a previous apostle, said.
Church-funded educational programs help thousands of members across the globe obtain skills and higher education.
“I just feel super grateful to be at BYU … where I can get a really good education for having a tuition that is subsidized by the Church,” BYU student Colby Ebert said.
Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve said the Church spends about $1 billion a year in academic aid and subsidies to church-sponsored education systems.
Last April BYU announced a tuition increase for this academic school year.
“Overall, the increase in tuition is not a big deal, but I can totally see how it can be a big deal for some people,” BYU senior Andrew Phan said.
The tuition increased by $92 for LDS students and $184 for non-LDS students.
“I do have friends who kind of struggle to make ends meet last semester, so even though it is not that big of an increase, it did make them struggle a little bit more,” Phan said.
BYU said the increase is intended to cover costs for things such as supplies, library needs and lab materials.
