We’re all aware of it. We’ve seen it on the news. We saw the dreaded statements in the mail. College tuition across the country is going up and no one is happy about it.
I think I died a little bit on the inside when I opened up the letter and saw that 5.54 percent increase. Shouts of outrage and painful groans could be heard from the students whenever anyone mentioned that we have a raise, yet again, in yearly tuition.
How was it not expected, though? Each year our tuition, room and board and student fees are raised, regardless of our dismay and feeble protests. The process isn’t going to ever change unless someone stands up and says enough is enough.
That’s exactly what college students across America are doing. In response to the cuts in education funding for many state governments, coupled with the increased tuition for both state and private universities, students are staging sittings, organizing protests, and forming picket lines. On March 4 more than 30 states had planned protests regarding those issues.
Whitworth students aren’t the type to get up and walk, in unison, out of class. We just don’t have the guts.
I’m not advocating that student life organize a protest; I don’t think our circumstances are nearly dire enough for that. I do believe, however, that more students should make it known to their financial aid officer that they are not happy with the tuition increase without at least some sort of retribution from the other side. Even getting a 5 percent increase in scholarships would show that the school is trying to work with us.
There are multiple factors feeding into struggles with education costs, and I can’t even pretend to know them. Any school financial official can explain the umpteen reasons why costs for the school have to be distributed to the students in order to maintain a high quality of education. That isn’t what I think most students are seeing or focusing on at this point. The message that I see universities sending to their students: fight or flight.
One choice we have is to enter flight mode and call it a day, dropping out of Whitworth in order to go to a community college or state school. It would be sending a message back to school administrators and I would hope cause them to question how many students lost are worth an increase in revenue. The problem remains, though, that many state schools are crippling their students financially, even more so than private schools.
The only other option we have is to stand up against the proverbial “Man” and fight for what is ours, or fight to keep at least some of our money. As I said earlier, we should go talk to Financial Aid and see if they can do anything. It’s worth reevaluating your FAFSA to make a case for yourself.
Don’t, however, just accept another loan and be done with it. Sometimes taking out loans is the only feasible option to pay for school, but in the long run college administrators can’t expect someone who wants to be a teacher to pay off $100,000 in loans. You would be better off working for minimum wage than dealing with that type of interest.
The next step is using our legislative system to its full potential and writing to our congressmen. Tell them to support President Obama in his plan to provide more affordable education. Or tell them to come up with a plan that affords more grants to middle class families and to private Christian colleges.
No, one person writing alone might not make an impact. But if every one of you took the time you spent grumbling about costs and applied it to contacting your senator, I know, without a doubt, that you will institute change. After all, the whole point of going to college and being smothered in these tuition bills is to learn how stand up, take charge and become leaders who make a difference.
Ferree is a sophomore majoring in journalism and marketing. Comments can be sent to molly.ferree@whitworthian.com.
OPINION: Stand up for tuition rights
Published: Monday, March 15, 2010
Updated: Monday, March 15, 2010
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