American University will hold tuition steady for the fall 2021 semester, the Northwest D.C. institution announced Monday, while focusing “intently on enrollment, retention and expense management” to maintain its fiscal health as the impact of Covid continues to take a toll.

AU expects to complete its 2022 budget in March, but one decision was already made: “no tuition increase for the 2021-2022 academic year,” President Sylvia Burwell and other school leaders wrote in a letter to the AU community.

“This decision supports our students and families and contributes to our long-term commitment to diversifying revenue and expanding access to higher education,” the letter states.

Undergraduate tuition for fiscal 2021, which was in place for the fall 2020 semester, was $50,542 for the year — the first time tuition had topped $50,000. Undergrads also pay $819 in mandatory fees, $10,096 for housing and $4,884 for a standard meal plan, for a total of $66,341. The university is home…