Daytona Beach, FL – For the first time in its 90 years, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is dropping tuition prices.
The school announced on Friday that its Board of Trustees approved reduced tuition rates for Florida high school graduates starting in August 2016.
ERAU Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Mori Hosseini says the 5% cut should help attract more locals to the school’s Daytona Beach campus.
“As the world’s largest and oldest institute focusing on aviation and aerospace, we are global,” Hosseini stated. “But it is a priority to provide access to a quality education for qualified students in our own community.”
This move, according to Hosseini, is part of other programs ERAU created recently that are focused on training more locals to do high-wage jobs, especially in aviation and aerospace.
“It’s not just about giving back,” Hosseini said. “It’s about investing in our local talent and keeping them here in our state to continue solidifying Florida as an aerospace industry leader.”
This announcement comes a day after ERAU unveiled plans to build a $28 million research facility that will house various laboratories and a wind tunnel at its new Aerospace Research Park.
The 50,000-square-foot Advanced Aerodynamics Laboratory will be located near the intersection of South Clyde Morris Boulevard and Bellevue Avenue and will have labs dedicated for aviation, space, engineering, unmanned systems, environmental ventures and other areas.
Those labs could handle up to 300 additional graduate students over the next 5 years, according to school officials.
The AAL will also have another 10,000 square feet of flexible space that can be leased out if needed.
Construction is expected to start next January and should be complete by September 2017.
ERAU is spending around $14 million on the AAL, with another $9 million coming from the state. ERAU is also asking for another $5 million from the Florida Legislature to complete the project.
Rendering above of the AAL is courtesy of ERAU.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.