Canisius College is dropping the price of admission by 23 percent in order to compete with a new program that offers free college tuition to SUNY schools.
The private school is rolling back annual tuition to what it was in 2008, from $34,966 in 2017 to $27,000.
Canisius is also dropping the price of housing by $2,000.
The changes will take effect next fall.
The price drop comes at a time when private schools in New York are facing increased competition for students from the state's 64 public schools. The new Excelsior Scholarship program offers free tuition to any SUNY or CUNY schools for families making up to $100,000 this year, $110,000 in 2018 and $125,000 in 2019.
Nearly 22,000 students will attend college for free in the program's inaugural year, according to the state.
