<p>Not normally justified? What do you mean by this? LACs often offer excellent financial aid, reducing their tuition dramatically. Also, as someone who calls alumni and collects money for their college, I can assure you that maintaining the school (which involves utilities, facility maintenance, campus events, faculty salaries, etc.) is not cheap by any means. In fact, tuition only covers 72% of those costs; the other 28% has to come from alumni, parents of current and former students, and many generous benefactors. Companies who donate to the college also donate based on alumni participation, so the amounts we receive from said companies can vary annually.</p>