[Date]

TO: Palo Alto University Administration FROM: [Your Name] and Concerned Students of the 2024-25 Cohort RE: Demand for Explanation Regarding Violation of Tuition Stabilization Plan

Dear PAU Administration and Board of Trustees,

We, the undersigned students of the 2024-25 cohort, write to express our profound concern and demand an immediate explanation regarding the recently announced 2.5% tuition and fee increase for the 2025-26 academic year. This decision represents a direct violation of PAU's long-standing Tuition Stabilization Plan, which was a fundamental factor in our enrollment decisions.

Background and Contractual Expectations

Upon enrollment, we were explicitly informed of PAU's Tuition Stabilization Plan, which has been in effect since Fall 2011. According to official PAU documentation, including the 2023-2024 PAU University Catalog (page 54), this plan "guarantees that students pay the same tuition and fees each year they are enrolled without any increases." The policy specifically states that students' tuition rates are "locked at the level they were when they first enrolled at PAU, protecting them from future tuition increases throughout their entire academic program."

This guarantee covers students "for the duration of their academic stay at PAU" and applies to both "tuition and fees," providing what PAU itself described as "comprehensive protection against educational cost increases" and "unprecedented predictability for families" in managing educational costs.

The Breach of Trust

The recent announcement of a 2.5% increase in tuition and fees for students who began their program during the 2024-25 academic year constitutes a fundamental breach of the contractual relationship established when we enrolled. This decision:

1. Violates explicit written promises made in official university catalogs and policy documents
2. Contradicts over a decade of established institutional policy that positioned PAU as an innovator in higher education financing
3. Undermines the financial planning that students and families undertook based on guaranteed tuition stability
4. Represents a material change to the terms under which we agreed to attend PAU

Financial Impact and Hardship

Many students in our cohort face significant budgetary constraints and made enrollment decisions based specifically on PAU's promise of tuition stability. The Tuition Stabilization Plan was not merely a marketing tool—it was a cornerstone policy that allowed us to:

• Accurately budget for our entire educational program
• Avoid the need for additional borrowing due to unexpected cost increases
• Plan our financial commitments with confidence
• Choose PAU over other institutions that could not offer such stability

The sudden abandonment of this policy places undue financial burden on students who relied on PAU's written commitments when making life-altering educational and financial decisions.

Demand for Accountability

We demand the following immediate actions:

1. A detailed written explanation of how this tuition increase is legally and ethically justified given the explicit terms of the Tuition Stabilization Plan
2. Full disclosure of when the decision was made to abandon the Tuition Stabilization Plan and why students were not informed of this fundamental policy change prior to enrollment
3. Documentation of the Board of Trustees' deliberation process and the legal review conducted before approving this policy violation
4. Immediate reversal of the tuition increase for all students covered under the Tuition Stabilization Plan, or alternatively, clear legal justification for why the university believes it can unilaterally breach this commitment
5. Compensation for any additional costs, stress, and planning disruption caused by this breach of trust

Legal and Ethical Considerations

PAU's Tuition Stabilization Plan represents more than a policy preference—it constitutes a binding commitment that influenced our enrollment decisions. The university cannot simply abandon a foundational promise without serious legal and ethical consequences. We expect PAU to honor its commitments or provide compelling legal justification for this apparent breach.

Conclusion

We feel deceived and betrayed by this decision. PAU positioned itself as a leader in educational affordability and predictability, using the Tuition Stabilization Plan as a key differentiator. To abandon this commitment without warning or adequate justification undermines the university's credibility and integrity.

We expect a comprehensive response within 10 business days of receipt of this letter. Should PAU fail to provide satisfactory explanation or remediation, we reserve the right to pursue all available legal remedies and to alert prospective students and accrediting bodies about this breach of institutional commitment.

The Tuition Stabilization Plan was not merely a policy—it was a promise. We demand that PAU honor that promise.

Respectfully but firmly,

[Your Name] [Student ID Number] [Program/Department] [Contact Information]

Additional Signatories: [Space for other students to sign]

Attachments:

• Copy of email announcing tuition increase
• Excerpts from 2023-2024 PAU University Catalog documenting Tuition Stabilization Plan
• Historical documentation of PAU's Tuition Stabilization Plan commitments