Few investments in life create more possibilities than a college degree. Too often the ability to pay is a barrier to access quality higher education and experiential learning. The Wartburg Commitment is a new pricing model and value proposition that will ensure greater access for more undergraduate students through a lower sticker price, targeted scholarship programs, and funding to support experiential education.
Details and frequently asked questions are located below on this page.
Competitive Price
To help more undergraduate students discover the value of the Wartburg experience, we’re lowering our published tuition price to $25,000 (45+% decrease). This brings the overall cost closer to what students typically pay and allows us to continue to recognize student achievement through generous scholarships and other financial aid.
Access to Excellence
Access to Excellence reduces the financial barrier of tuition for lower- and middle-income families.
Iowa Students
New full-time undergraduate students from Iowa who qualify for the Iowa Tuition Grant and are admitted to Wartburg will have their tuition covered through institutional, state, and federal gift assistance. Iowa students must live on campus to participate in the program.
Out-of-State Students
New full-time out-of-state undergraduate students who have similar FAFSA results will receive a minimum of $9,500 per year through a combination of merit scholarships, an out-of-state grant, and the Access to Excellence Award, further reducing costs beyond the lowered tuition price.
Knight’s Experience
At Wartburg College, we are committed to experiential learning that occurs inside and outside the classroom. The opportunity to learn about diverse communities and cultures through immersion and shared experiences is a distinct aspect of a Wartburg education. The Knight’s Experience increases access to enriching opportunities by providing students with one-time funding.
Every full-time undergraduate student will receive up to $1,500 that can be used in their second, third, or fourth year. Qualifying programs include study away, international travel, off-campus May Term travel courses, internships, student teaching, research, service trips, and more. Click here for more information about the Knight’s Experience process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beginning in fall 2024, Wartburg will lower our published tuition to $25,000 – a more than 45 percent decrease – bringing the sticker price closer to what students typically pay.
We know students often make decisions based on published tuition price, and we want to make sure they consider Wartburg when deciding where to invest in their future. Wartburg will lower our published tuition to $25,000 to bring the sticker price closer to what students typically pay after scholarships and financial aid. We hope this helps more students consider Wartburg College and see it as the best choice for exceptional experiences and big opportunities.
Most returning students can expect their total net cost for tuition and the student support services fee to be similar to what they would have paid without the tuition adjustment. Scholarship and aid are being adjusted according to the new tuition.
New Iowa students who qualify for the Iowa Tuition Grant will qualify for the Access to Excellence initiative and have the full cost of tuition covered through institutional, state, and federal gift assistance beginning in fall 2024. New out-of-state students who demonstrate similar need will receive a minimum of $9,500 per year beginning in fall 2024.
All students will also benefit from lower fees for the 2024-25 academic year and have access to a one-time-use Knight’s Experience disbursement of up to $1,500 to help cover the cost of qualifying experiences, including study away, internships, research, service trips, and more.
As always, each student’s net cost is determined by a number of individual factors. Personalized estimates for costs, scholarships, and financial aid for the 2024-25 academic year are being sent to all current first-, second-, and third-year students via email and campus mailbox. If you have questions or did not receive your personalized estimate, please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@wartbug.edu.
Wartburg offers generous scholarships and financial aid that keep the overall net cost to attend as manageable as possible, often much lower than the published price. Each student’s scholarships and financial aid are determined by a number of individual factors and the amounts awarded are different, meaning the actual cost to attend also varies. Now that we are lowering the published tuition price to $25,000, it will be much closer to what students typically pay.
No. Due to generous scholarships and financial aid, most families typically pay a much lower amount than our published tuition. However, we know students often make decisions on colleges based on published tuition price, and we want to make sure they consider Wartburg when deciding where to invest in their future. We hope that by lowering our tuition to bring the overall cost closer to what students typically pay after scholarships and financial aid, we will help more students consider Wartburg.
Like always, Wartburg will continue to recognize student achievement through generous scholarships and financial aid adjusted for the new tuition, helping keep the overall net cost to attend as manageable as possible, in many cases in line with or even lower than state schools.
The published tuition will be the same for all full-time undergraduate students – new and returning – beginning in fall 2024. However, as always, students will continue to pay different net amounts based on varying levels of financial aid and scholarships.
Along with the lower tuition, beginning in fall 2024, the Student Support Service Fee will be lowered from $2,550 to $1,250. Housing and food costs will fluctuate based on inflation and operational costs; these charges have not been determined yet.
The lower tuition price is designed to bring the overall cost to attend closer to what students typically pay after scholarships and financial aid. As always, students will continue to pay different net amounts based on varying levels of financial aid and scholarships. However, returning students will benefit from lower fees and year-over-year savings with annual tuition increases. Because of a lower base tuition, annual tuition increases will be lower than they would have been without the decrease in tuition.
| Old Tuition & Fees | Increase | New Tuition & Fees | Increase | |
| 2024-25 | $53,080 | $2,040 | $26,250 | $0 |
| 2025-26 | $55,210 | $2,130 | $27,300 | $1,050 |
| 2026-27 | $57,420 | $2,210 | $28,390 | $1,090 |
| 2027-28 | $59,710 | $2,290 | $29,520 | $1,130 |
FY Student in 2024-25 Benefit
Over four years – $6,640 in total savings and Knight’s Experience
2Y Student in 2024-25 Benefit
Over three years – $3,280 in total savings and Knight’s Experience
3Y Student in 2024-25 Benefit
Over two years – $1,080 in total savings and Knight’s Experience
4Y Student in 2024-25 Benefit
Participate in Knight’s Experience
*Figures are based on a projected annual 4% increase in tuition and fees and do not include potential adjustments for housing and food. Increases will be set each year based on current market conditions. Wartburg College cannot guarantee the annual percentage increases this far in advance.
The reduced tuition, Access to Excellence initiative, and the Knight’s Experience fund will begin in fall 2024 for the 2024-25 academic year. There are no changes to tuition or other fees for the 2023-24 academic year.
As always, students will continue to pay different net amounts based on varying levels of financial aid and scholarships.
Because of generous scholarships and financial aid, in many cases Wartburg costs are in line with or even lower than state schools. View cost comparisons with other colleges and access our net cost calculator.
This change will allow you to experience more that Wartburg has to offer. We are not reducing programming, faculty, or staff because of the lowered tuition. The Knight’s Experience fund will allow more students to access immersive learning opportunities they may not otherwise have been able to afford, including study away, internships, research, and service trips.
It does not apply to summer tuition, which is already offered at a reduced rate.
No. We encourage you to enroll when you had originally planned.
The decrease only applies to full-time student tuition.
No. Tuition is being lowered for all full-time students. Most returning students can expect their total net cost paid for tuition and the student support services fee to be similar to what they would have paid without the tuition adjustment since scholarship and aid are being adjusted according to the new tuition. Because of a lower base tuition, annual tuition increases will be lower than they would have been without the reduction in published tuition.
Please contact the Business Office at businessoffice@wartburg.edu.
Financial Aid FAQs
Absolutely. Wartburg will continue to recognize student achievement in and out of the classroom through generous scholarships and financial aid adjusted for the new tuition.
Personalized estimates for costs, scholarship, and financial aid for the 2024-25 academic year are being sent to all first-, second-, and third-year students via email and campus mailbox. If you have questions or did not receive your personalized estimate, please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@wartburg.edu.
No. We are not making any adjustments to our criteria for awarding scholarships and financial aid as a result of the tuition decrease outside of the Access to Excellence program. We are adjusting the amounts of our scholarship and financial awards to align with the new tuition price.
The Access to Excellence program will begin in fall 2024 for new students to reduce the financial barrier of tuition for low- and middle-income families. Iowa residents who are accepted to attend and who qualify for the Iowa Tuition Grant will have the full cost of tuition covered through institutional, state, and federal gift assistance. New out-of-state students who demonstrate similar need will receive a minimum of $9,500 per year.
Personalized estimates for costs, scholarship, and financial aid for the 2024-25 academic year are being sent to all first-, second-, and third-year students via email and campus mailbox. If you have questions or did not receive your personalized estimate, please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@wartburg.edu.
No. Federal Pell Grants and state grants are awarded based on family income and assets as reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Federal student loans are available to all students who complete a FAFSA application. Most private scholarships are based on financial need or merit, not the published tuition cost of a college. Students are encouraged to confirm with their individual grantor.
Please check your spam/junk folder in your email first. If you still don’t see the email, contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@wartbug.edu.
Like always, Wartburg will continue to offer financial aid to qualifying students as well as scholarships that recognize student achievement. Beginning in fall 2024, existing scholarships and financial aid will be adjusted according to the new, lower published tuition, making your total net cost paid similar to what you have paid in the past without the tuition adjustment.
Each student’s net cost is determined by a number of individual factors. Personalized estimates for costs, scholarships, and financial aid for the 2024-2025 academic year are being sent to all first-, second-, and third-year students via email and campus mailbox. If you have questions or did not receive your personalized estimate, please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@wartbug.edu.
Absolutely. Like always, Wartburg will continue to recognize student achievement in and out of the classroom through generous scholarships and financial aid. Beginning in fall 2024, existing scholarships and financial aid will be adjusted according to the new, lower published tuition, making your total net cost paid similar to what you have paid without the tuition adjustment.
Personalized estimates for costs, scholarships and financial aid for the 2024-25 academic year are being sent to all first-, second-, and third-year students via email and campus mailbox. If you have questions or did not receive your personalized estimate, please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@wartbug.edu.
New students who enroll at Wartburg after being referred through the Alumni Referral Award program will receive $500 per year for up to four years. Students awarded an Alumni Referral Award prior to fall 2024 will continue to receive $1,000 per year.
Students will now receive $1,000 per year for the Legacy Grant. Students awarded a Legacy Grant prior to fall 2024 will continue to receive $1,500 per year.
Please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@wartbug.edu.
Access to Excellence FAQs
New Wartburg students who live in Iowa, qualify for the Iowa Tuition Grant, and who live on campus will have the full cost of tuition covered under the Access to Excellence program. New out-of-state students who demonstrate similar need will receive a minimum of $9,500 per year.
No. However, they will qualify for the Knight’s Experience disbursement of up to $1,500.
You do not have to apply for the Access to Excellence program. All new students will be evaluated for eligibility based on the result of their FAFSA.
Yes. Students who remain eligible for the Iowa Tuition Grant and continue to live on campus will have their award evaluated annually to ensure all tuition increases are covered by the Access to Excellence award.
Knight’s Experience FAQs
Wartburg offers a wealth of exceptional opportunities for students to explore, and most will qualify for the one-time-use Knight’s Experience disbursement. These could include internships, research, study away, service trips, and more. Additional information about these opportunities can be found here.
The application will be available Feb. 1, 2024. Please visit the Knight’s Experience website for more information.
Please contact Sheryn Boos, manager of scholarship, outreach, and communication at sheryn.boos@wartburg.edu or 319-352-8646.