A proposition for lower tuition has been announced by the University of Arizona law school, according to The Arizona Republic. The law school recommends an 11 percent decrease in tuition and fees for students in-state and an eight percent decrease for students who are out-of-state beginning this fall. Annual savings for Arizona residents would total $3,000. The law school also wants to freeze tuition for the coming year.
“We want to be responsive in changing times,” UA law-school Dean Marc Miller said.
If the request is approved, the in-state tuition at the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law will be $24,306, which is a decrease of $2,982. Tuition for non-residents would be $38,768, a decrease of $3,530.
The applications at University of Arizona have dropped from 2,200 five years ago to 1,300 last year. The applicant pool has dropped as well from 2,400 five years ago to 1,700 this year.
“I think schools are fiddling around with their business model in a market where there’s a lot of competition,” said James Leipold, executive director of the National Association for Law Placement.
The law school at Arizona State is not planning to decrease tuition, according to Dean Douglas Sylvester.
“Arizona is really lucky to have two public law schools and two universities that are willing to be innovative,” he said. “There are a lot of places that aren’t doing this.”