The Debate Over Tuition: Students Pushing for Lower Costs
The Debate Over Tuition: Students Pushing for Lower Costs
A recent survey shows 93 percent of college students feel tuition should be reduced this semester since most classes will be held online.students around the country have started to sign petitions demanding this.
A RECENT SURVEY SHOWS... 93PERCENT OF COLLEGE STUDENTS FEELTUITION SHOULDBE LOWERED THIS SEMESTER,, SINCEMOST CLASSES WILL BE HELDONLINE.IN FACT... STUDENTS AROUND THECOUNTRY HAVE STARTED TO SIGNPETITIONS FOR IT.ALICIA NIEVES SHOWS US WHICHCOLLEGES HAVE LISTENED... ANDWHAT STUDENTS ARESAYING THEY'LL DO -- IF OTHERSDON'T.MOST UNIVERSITY HAVECONFIRMEDMOST CLASSES WILL BEONLINE THIS SEMESTER."I FEEL TERRIBLE, YOU KNOW, BYTHIS ONE SEMESTER THAT I HAVE TOPAY THE EXACT SAMEAMOUNT AS IWOULD BY GETTING A WHOLE COLLEGEEXPERIENCE." GABRIELLE PEREZ ISA JUNIOR AT MICHIGAN STATEUNIVERSITY... AND IS ONE OF MANYCOLLEGE STUDENTSDEMANDING LOWER TUITION WITHONLINE CLASSES.SHE'S EVEN STARTED A PETITION ATHER SCHOOL... CITING " ONLINECLASSES HOLD A FAR LESS VALUECOMPAREDTO THOSE THAT WERE ONCE IN ACLASSROOM""YOU ARE AT A BIG 10 SCHOOL, IAM PAYING FOR A BIG TEN SCHOOL.I'M NOT GETTING THE BIG TENSCHOOLEXPERIENCE."CURRENTLY MSU, HAS ONLYCOMMITTED TO A "TUITION FREEZE",KEEPING TUITION THE SAME AS THEPREVIOUS TWO YEARS.BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY OTHERHIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONSHAVEBEGUN REDUCING THEIR TUITION.SOME, BY 10 TO 15%, WHILE ONE....SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIREUNIVERSITY IS NOW OFFERINGINCOMING FRESHMAN FULL TUITIONSCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE FIRST YEAR,AND SLASHING THE PRICE FOREVERYONEELSE FROM $31,000 TO $10,000."YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT PRICES ANDWHAT INSTITUTIONS ARE CHARGINGSTUDENTS WITHOUT TALKINGABOUTCOST... AND IN MANY CASES THECOSTS ARE GOING UP."DENISA GANDARA IS AN ASSISTANTPROFESSOR OF EDUCATIONAL POLICYAND LEADERSHIP AT SOUTHERNMETHODIST UNIVERSITY, AND SAYSMANY HIGHER EDUCATIONINSTITUTIONS ARE RELUCTANT TOREDUCINGTUITION BECAUSE OF ADDITIONALCOST THIS YEAR... LIKE THE COSTFOR REMOTE LEARNING EQUIPMENT,TRAINING INSTRUCTORS TO TEACHREMOTELYEFFECTIVELY, ANDHIGHER HEALTH INSURANCEPREMIUMS."I IMAGINE INSTITUTIONS ARESTILL LOOKING AT THEIR NUMBERSAND TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHERTHEY DONEED TO LOWER THEIR PRICES TOATTRACT MORE STUDENTS." BECAUSETHE FEAR IS STUDENTS WILL DROPOUT OR TAKE THE SEMESTER OFF...SOME HAVE THREATENED THAT INTHEIR PETITIONS."YOU HAVE SO MUCH TIME TO GOBACK TO COLLEGE ANYWAYS, THATTHIS ONE SEMESTER OR MAYBEWHOLEYEAR IS NOT GOING TO DEFINEYOU."IN FACT, SOME FINANCIAL EXPERTSLIKE CALVIN WILLIAMS JR, CEO ATFREEMAN'S CAPITAL... AREENCOURAGING SOME COLLEGESTUDENTS TO RECONSIDERATTENDANCE AT A 4 YEARINSTITUTIONS RIGHT NOW...AND CONSIDER GOING TO ACOMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR A SEMESTEROR TWO, WHERE THE TUITION ISALREADYDRASTICALLY LOWER.
