3. Tuition and Financial Management Policies for AY 2023 and Beyond

(1) Financial Structures and Tuition at Private Universities

The financial management of a private educational corporation needs to build financial structures with a long-term perspective, encompassing the past, present, and future. There is a need to develop facilities such as campus buildings and libraries, as well as equipment for use in classrooms, laboratories, and the like, as part of the environment for education and research and the learning activities of students at all levels. To do so requires the funds needed to at the time such facilities and equipment are constructed or purchased, as well as funds to cover their future maintenance and replacement as a result of ageing, new advancements in education and research, changes in learning styles, and the like.

Funds for the above purposes are not covered simply by the specific students who are enrolled in the years that purchases and refurbishments actually take place: private university corporations are structured to enable them to accumulate their own reserve funds for these purposes, with a long-term outlook and a view to equalization across the entire institution. At Ritsumeikan University, for example, improvements to academic conditions undertaken in the R2020 period included a major renovation of the Zonshinkan and Seishinkan buildings at KIC, construction of new Sport and Health Commons at BKC, and establishment of OIC. Developments like these entail major expenditure in the years they are implemented, but it is possible to complete them without having the cost burden focused exclusively on students enrolled in those years, because we pursue financial management and accumulation of funds along a long-term timeline encompassing the past, present, and future. In the same way, the responses to COVID-19 since AY 2020 could be implemented in a timely manner because, in financial management terms, we were able to draw in this emergency on some of the funds accumulated in our reserve.

Natural disasters, pandemics, cyber attacks, geopolitical tensions, and other recent developments have heightened the uncertainty surrounding continuity of education and research activities. In order to continue to improve the quality of education and research and create more diverse and attractive learning opportunities going forward, it is essential for educational institutions to be managed, both academically and financially, in a way that can respond flexibly to changes in society. This flexibility and continuity of academic development is guaranteed by the maintenance of a sound revenue/expenditure balance in a long-term perspective.

Furthermore, tuition fees not only underpin the academic content provided in each college and graduate school, but are also connected with the provision of scholarships, comprehensive learner support, extracurricular activities support, careers and graduate employment support, information and communications infrastructure, libraries, and other facets of the educational environment. Tuition fees are thus also returned to students in the form of the university-wide environments and conditions for learning and student life shared by all students.

(2) Financial Management under R2030

The R2030 Challenge Design envisions Ritsumeikan University as a wellspring of new forms of value and learning: a next-generation university that creates new forms of value, and a university that produces innovative and creative individuals. The primary financial management goal for the first half of R2020 is to financially support the R2030 Challenge Design and other academic improvements and quality enhancements, while aiming in the medium to long terms to redesign our revenue structures in light of the new forms of value that the university creates and delivers to society through its education and research. We aim to advance the Challenge Design with agility, establishing new budgets using revenue from non-academic activities such as earned interest and dividends, and monitor their effectiveness as we disburse them.

The financial management basic plan for the first half of R2030 includes a new indicator: for student fees not to exceed 75% of ordinary revenue. While this indicator is designed to curb excessive reliance on student fee revenue, on the expenditure side we will promote DX that improves the quality and operational efficiency of our projects through proactive utilization of the Academy’s internal and external resources (networks, data, etc.) and digital technologies.

(3) Tuition Policy for AY 2023-2026

At Ritsumeikan University, newly entering students are clearly informed of the tuition that will apply for the duration of their enrollment, and in principle, no changes are made to tuition for this duration. The proposals to be tabled at the Plenary Council relate to the tuition to be applied to students enrolling in the years from AY 2023 to 2026.

Recently we have been engaging in ongoing discussions with the Student Union and other parties on the issue of private university financial structures and the achievements and challenges in the Academy’s financial management. At the first Plenary Council Representatives’ Meeting in AY 2021, the Student Union demanded a guarantee of opportunities to participate in the processes leading to the determination of tuition policies for AY 2023 and thereafter. We have responded to this demand by engaging the Student Union in discussion on an ongoing basis.

As we work to give shape to the R2030 Challenge Design, a key prerequisite will be to secure financial soundness and balance through our regular and foundational activities. We will continue our efforts to diversify revenue other than tuition and to cut costs, but as mentioned above, the reality of private university financial management is that maintenance and development of the tuition fee revenue base remains essential in order to guarantee learning environments and opportunities, and to make ongoing improvements in education and research into the future. Here we propose Ritsumeikan University’s tuition policy to apply to students entering in AY 2023 through 2026, as a key measure to form and sustain the financial base in order to pursue academic development and value creation at the university on a sustained, continuous basis through R2030 and thereafter.

The new tuition revision formula includes an Academic Maintenance and Improvement Fee, to be applied in light of the status of revenue and expenditure related to educational activities. After spending time in extensive discussion and consideration, incorporating a wide range of opinions and suggestions, we have decided to propose this inclusion as an essential measure in order to sustain and improve educational conditions on an ongoing basis in response to changes in society, and to maintain the sound revenue/expenditure balance needed to do achieve this. In the event that the Academic Maintenance and Improvement Fee needs to be applied, this will be explained to all students following deliberation by the Executive Board of Trustees.

1) Admission Fees

Admission fees shall be as follows (unchanged).

However, admission fees shall not be charged for the following students.

(1) Students enrolled in the College of International Relations’ Department of International Relations, American University and Ritsumeikan University who is beginning studies at American University, and students enrolled in the College of Global Liberal Arts who is beginning studies at the Australian National University;
(2) Prior graduates of a College of Ritsumeikan University or APU entering a Ritsumeikan University Graduate School;
(3) Students of a College of Ritsumeikan University or APU continuing on to a Ritsumeikan University Graduate School;
(4) Students entering a Ritsumeikan University Graduate School who have previously completed a degree program at a Ritsumeikan University or APU Graduate School, or have withdrawn from a Doctoral program at said Graduate School after being enrolled for at least the standard completion period and fulfilling the credit requirements stipulated in university regulations.

2) Tuition revision formula applicable to students entering in AY 2023-2026

Tuition revision formula applicable to new undergraduate students

For students entering in AY 2023, taking into account societal conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tuition revision formula stated above will be applied without inclusion of the Academic Maintenance and Improvement Fee, regardless of revenue/expenditure conditions.
Calculation in accordance with the above approach means that tuition for students entering in AY 2023 will be the same as for students who entered in AY 2022.

Tuition revision formula applicable to Master’s, Integrated Doctoral (Years 1-2) and Professional Graduate Degree Program students

In R2020, we made a decision to reduce graduate school tuition as part of the Graduate School Policies formulated at that time. The R2030 Challenge Design positions graduate students as practitioners of independent research toward the realization of a next-generation research university, and in order to advance initiatives for the expansive re-coupling of research and education, we will maintain the same tuition revision formula as currently applies.

Calculation in accordance with the above approach means that tuition for graduate students entering in AY 2023 will be the same as for students who entered in AY 2022.

The current approach to tuition in Doctoral programs and the third year and above of Integrated Doctoral programs will be maintained, with annual tuition unchanged at 500,000 yen.

3) Tuition in new colleges, graduate schools, etc.

When newly establishing or reorganizing undergraduate colleges and the like, and undertaking large-scale curricular reforms, we will determine tuition in light of factors including faculty organization and facilities and infrastructure plans specific to the college involved.

4) Clarification of tuition for duration of enrollment

Our policy is that tuition fees applicable for the duration of enrollment will be clearly stated to students at the time of their entrance.

However, revisions may be proposed as an emergency measure in the event of sudden and dramatic price increases resulting from societal factors and the like, where there is no alternative in responding to the impact of such changes but to revise the tuition fee levels including for currently enrolled students.

5) Tuition applicable to students enrolled in AY 2022 and prior (colleges and graduate schools)

Students who entered the university in AY 2022 and prior will continue to the subject to the tuition levels stated at the time of their entrance.