Budget Breakdown

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Barrett, The Honors College, is a community of high-achieving students within Arizona State University who benefit from the considerable resources of a premier university combined with the close, personal attention provided by the honors college faculty and staff.

Barrett students:

  • Prosper in a distinctive honors curriculum, featuring small classes and seminar experiences all four years, that integrates seamlessly into any ASU undergraduate degree at the Downtown, Polytechnic, Tempe, and West campuses
  • Live in a fully developed four-year honors residential community, the first of its kind and unparalleled in the nation
  • Enjoy the dedicated support of over one hundred caring professionals - our deans, honors faculty fellows, and staff - who work exclusively with Barrett students and exclusively within the Barrett Honors College
  • Learn from the very best ASU professors, including MacArthur Fellows, Nobel Laureates, and Pulitzer Prize winners
  • Receive personalized support through a three-tier advising network featuring an honors academic advisor, advisor in the academic major, and a Faculty Honors Advisor in their field
  • Have special access to honors-only internships and research positions
  • Pursue Global Intensive Experiences, Summer Study Programs, Student Exchanges, and interact with world leaders specifically brought to campus for honors student engagement, through the Global Barrett office

The Barrett experience uniquely prepares students for a wide variety of future pursuits. Graduates attend the best graduate schools and accept positions with prominent non-profit and Fortune 500 companies.

Barrett boasts a remarkable record in the number of nationally competed post-graduate fellowships and scholarships won by our students, due in large part to the direct access Barrett students have to the Office of National Scholarship Advisement.

The Barrett fee makes the honors experience possible, providing over half of the college operating budget. Seventeen percent (17%) of the funds collected from the fee are given to the ASU Financial Assistance Office to support honors college students with need.  The remaining fee money is 100% invested back into the Barrett community.

 

All fee* money is invested in bettering the honors experience for Barrett students. Barrett students who wish to play an active role in determining how the fee money is allocated should contact the Barrett Honors College Council for information on the Dean’s Advisory Fee Committee. In years past, the fee has allowed the college to:

  • Recruit and retain dedicated Honors faculty who can deliver a reading and writing-intensive First Year Honors curriculum and several upper division seminar courses to all students
  • Maintain an average class size of 19 students
  • Support multiple levels of dedicated Honors Advising, including advising for the core Honors curriculum
  • Provide additional mentoring for Honors experiences within all majors via the Faculty Honors Advisors program
  • Develop unique and interdisciplinary curriculum
  • Fund the release of faculty from other ASU colleges into Barrett courses (for example, it costs an average of $9000 to release a tenured Full Professor into a Barrett course)
  • Support and manage more than 8000 Honors contracts per semester, running across all disciplinary fields
  • Develop substantive and innovative co-curricular programming, designed to build students' confidence and skills outside the classroom
  • Support the residential experience via the recruitment of student leaders
  • Fund a dedicated and highly qualified professional staff, as well as student workers
  • Maintain classroom technology
  • Provide needed amenities to support the student experience, including bike racks, and furniture for student common spaces
  • Provide funding for all students to offset costs associated with thesis research
  • Provide need-based community scholarships for students facing financial hardship
  • Provide paid positions for student research internships
  • Provide scholarships for student travel experiences, including Study Abroad programs, Global Intensive Experiences and Great American Cities
  • Provide funding for students to present their work at academic conferences

*All fee requests made by the College are reviewed and approved by the Arizona Board of Regents

 

 

Direct Student Support

  • Research awards, scholarships, student employment, financial aid, thesis/project funding

Event Programming

  • Barrett signature events (Barrett Ball, Red Carpet), Celebrating Honors Symposium, Camps (Camp B, Poly, West & Downtown)

Administrative Support

  • Classroom/Community Space Renovations/Upgrades (bike racks, office/classroom furniture, etc.)
  • Technology (software, computers, video equipment, etc.)
  • College operations support (hiring, training, supplies, equipment, etc.)

Student Services and Academic Support

  • Teaching for honors courses, honors advisors and student success and engagement staff who produce co-curricular activities and initiatives

Curriculum Development

  • Honors courses developed in units across ASU

Faculty Honors Advisors

  • Faculty to support students in each major
  • Why does Barrett have a fee?

Barrett Honors College has a fee that helps pay for honors-specific programming, events, travel, and services that benefit honors students at ASU. The fee also helps the college cover the cost of expanding student services and programming to better serve a growing student population.  

  • How long has Barrett had a fee?

Barrett initially implemented a fee in 2005.

  • How often does the fee change?

Since 2005, the Barrett fee has been increased three times, in 2010, 2015 and 2019.

In 2005, the fee was $250 per semester.

In 2010, the fee increased to $500 per semester.

In 2015, the fee increased to $750 per semester.

In 2019, the fee increased to $1,000 per semester.

It is important to note that 17% of all student fees Barrett collects go to Arizona State University to be used for student financial aid with the remaining funding retained by Barrett to support the College.

  • How is the fee used towards my honors education?

The fee is used to support students’ honors education in many ways, including providing funding for:

    • Direct student support – Funds for student research work; scholarships and financial aid; thesis and project funding.
    • Summer Study Abroad – Unique, for-credit travel programs led by Honors Faculty Fellows.
    • Global Intensive Experiences – Honors-only study abroad programs led by Honors Faculty Fellows. GIEs are shorter than Barrett Summer Study Abroad programs and offered throughout each semester in order to provide a diverse selection of travel opportunities for students whose schedules or finances do not permit them to travel for longer periods during the summer.
    • Faculty and staff salaries – Honors Faculty at Barrett.
    • Faculty Honors Advisors in each major.
    • Curriculum Development for honors courses in students’ major departments.
  • What are the other ways the fee is used to directly benefit students?
    • Classroom/student space renovations and upgrades, including projection screens and new furniture.
    • Bike racks at Barrett Tempe and Barrett at Vista del Sol.
    • Event programming, including signature events such as Dinner Down the Orchard, the Red Carpet Event, the Barrett Ball, the Celebrating Honors Symposium, and Camp B.
    • Funding students can use to bring in an expert as a thesis third committee member.
  • What is the Barrett fee committee and can I participate in it?

The Barrett fee committee is a student advisory board that offers input on how the fee is allocated to help enhance the student experience. Yes, you need to contact the Barrett Honors College Council (BHCC) and ask to be put on it.

  • What if I am not able to pay the fee because of financial concerns?

Students unable to pay the fee may apply for a Barrett Community Scholarship to cover the fee. Students whose need extends beyond the cost of the fee may apply for a Community Scholarship to offset the cost of housing and meals. Information about the Barrett Community Scholarship is available from the Barrett Dean’s Office.  For more information, contact Assistant Dean of Students Rendell at Dawn.Rendell@asu.edu.

  • How do I access my thesis/project funding that is supported by the fee?

There are several funds available to support student thesis and creative project activities, including:

    • Thesis Funding– Students may receive up to $1,000 to complete their thesis. This funding may cover items such as travel, books, copying, equipment and other materials as needed throughout the project.
    • Honors Project Fund – Students may receive up to $1,000 to carry out special projects.  This funding may be used to cover expenses related to special projects, such as presenting a paper at a conference or attending a symposium related to your major. Funds may be used for airfare, hotel, conference registration and project supplies.
    • External Examiner Program– Barrett students and their thesis directors can apply for up to $1500 to apply to the cost of bringing in an outside examiner or expert from another institution to serve as the thesis third committee member.

Students must complete an application and submit supporting information in order to be eligible for thesis and project funding. More information about these funding sources, how to apply and forms are at https://barretthonors.asu.edu/academics/thesis-and-creative-project/funding

  • We see that private donors have given to the College.  Why does this not lower the amount of funding needed by the Barrett fee?

Private donors usually specify where they want their funds to go, such as to named scholarships or funds for particular purposes. Several scholarships designated just for incoming and current honors students are provided by private donors.  A list of these scholarships and information on how to apply is at https://barretthonors.asu.edu/academics/scholarships-and-fellowships/barrett-scholarships

  • Do Barrett students at all four campuses get access to resources supported by the fee?

Yes, each student has equal opportunity to utilize the programs associated with the Barrett fee.