According to the fall 2025 New Students’ IR Digest, 95% of incoming undergraduate students receive institutional aid, but that support covers less than half of the $54,000 in annual tuition on average. 

The average new undergraduate student received $23,470 a year. Despite the university’s financial assistance, some students say the cost of tuition hinders their educational experience. Some question whether the university is doing enough to make their education affordable and worth the cost. 

Third-year drama major Nyliram Garcia said the cost of attending The New School is one of her biggest stressors. “If I were able to pay [for] school without stressing about it, I would enjoy my college experience much more,” she said. 

“I’m able to put money forth, but it’s not enough,” Garcia said. 

Hudson Tor, a second-year fashion design student, said he considers leaving the school because of financial stress “two or three times a day.” 

According to New School’s IR Digest for fall 2024, “Only 4 in 10 students on a temporary leave of absence resumed their studies as planned. Many did not return due to financial reasons.”  

“It’s made everything feel very stressful, just on the cost of materials and everything,” Tor said. “It casts a cloud over the entire educational experience, because I know that every second of class is a further amount of debt I’m going into.” 

For first-year student Aden Murray, TNS was his dream school but also one of the most expensive universities he applied to. 

“I would not be able to go to the school if it was not for financial aid,” Murray said. When he first arrived, even with aid, he didn’t have enough to make it work.

He has gone to the financial aid office on several occasions and taken advantage of the resources the school provides. He was able to find some help, he said, but he is still not sure if he can afford the college. 

“I’m not sure I can afford it logistically. That would kind of force me to [transfer], but the mentality has just been like, I’ll make it work. I’ll figure out a way to get the money,” Murray said. 

The university’s financial aid office acknowledged the expense of attending the school and said it has implemented systems to support students, including open virtual meetings and appeals throughout the school year. 

Sarah Fevig, assistant vice provost for financial aid and scholarships, said in an email that the financial aid guarantee ensures institutional grants and scholarships remain consistent throughout enrollment, even if a student’s GPA drops or family income increases. “This has certainly been really helpful for families in planning how to pay for college,” she said in an emailed statement. 

The office has also expanded access to advisors through a drop-in Zoom room and increased in-person appointments. “We are continuing to build our systems to provide more timely, accurate, and transparent data to students and families,” Fevig said. “​​All of these better systems have helped to free up staff time for one-on-one meetings with students, which we love to do.” 

Fevig emphasized a “partnership model” as the most effective way to help families navigate the cost of college, saying her team likes to work closely with students from the start. 

Despite the financial aid office’s efforts, the gap between institutional support and actual costs remains too wide for many prospective students to bridge.

For enrolled students, the financial burden shapes their experience. 

Tor said he is able to excel at Parsons because of his financial hardship and the unique perspective he feels comes with it. “As someone who has not come from a very privileged background, who has interesting stories to tell from my life thus far, I’m able to excel here … It’s both that incentive to leave, but also that incentive to stand out and stay,” he said.

According to data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) about The New School released in 2024, the university’s cost of attendance is 1.89 times higher than the national average for private universities.

Since 2024, tuition has increased 3.9%, raising tuition for the 2025-26 academic year. For many, the cost leaves college out of reach.

“There’s lots of very talented people who could be here, making incredible art, who are not here because they don’t have [financial support],” Tor said.