Ever wonder how and where your tuition money is spent each year? It’s important to know which amenities each student pays for despite attending a school with a high number of commuters and nontraditional students.
According to College Board, a nonprofit organization which helps guide students in choosing a college and career path after high school, only 12 percent of all EMU undergraduates live on campus. Sixty-nine percent of freshman students live on campus, but the number dwindles significantly after their first year.
Despite the fact that only 12 percent of undergrad students attending EMU live on campus, everyone is charged for certain amenities. The Student Center, health services, student government, Greek Advisor, and Band Camp are a few of the programs that every student helps to fund, according to Walter Kraft, Vice President for Communications at EMU.
College Board also notes that only 4 percent of men at EMU are in a fraternity, and 4 percent of women are in a sorority. Even fewer students are in marching band, student government or individual student organizations.
It is certainly true that students benefit from getting involved on campus in order to network, find mentors, add experience to their resumes and have a well-rounded college experience. The question remains, however, whether students that don’t have time or money to participate in these organizations or spend time on campus at the Student Center should be paying these fees.
New lab and studio fees have been introduced this school year as well. “They range anywhere from $5 to $75 per class and that money goes directly back to the department,” said Kraft.
When signing up for certain classes, students are automatically placed into a computer lab or studio and the student can exercise no control over where these classes take place. Why are students being charged for attending class in a room with computers, especially when they may not use them regularly during class time?
Students are also billed for the ECollege, which is the online system for the university. However, several professors decide never to use this system for class, and others use it minimally.
It seems that it would make the most sense for students to be charged for certain fees such as attending class in a lab or using ECollege based on circumstance, but any student that has the line “Prog Fee – CE Online” on their eBill pays these fees.
With in-state tuition assessed at approximately $8,800 in fall 2011 according to College Board, EMU has one of the lowest tuition rates in the state. EMU classifies itself as a “residential school,” despite the high number of students living off-campus.
Commuting students and nontraditional students often work, support families and/or spend little time returning to school to boost their experience, so why are they expected to pay for amenities and programs like the Student Center or student organizations that they never even use?
It would certainly make attending college and participating in co-curricular activities more expensive for certain students if they were charged for each program with which they were involved, but commuter and nontraditional students deserve to have a say in how their money is spent.
While certain fees come with the territory of being a college student (like registration fees and funds to renovate buildings on campus), are all of these charges fair?
College is still a privilege, not a right. With rising costs, despite EMU’s success with reducing these costs as much as possible, why should college be even more expensive for people in low-income situations or those working full-time who cannot spend time playing in the marching band or running for Student Government?
Students need to question the way their tuition and fee money is spent and become more involved with the college’s decisions.
To become more involved, consider attending the next Board of Regents meeting at 4 p.m. on April 17, 2012 The general meeting will be held at 201 Welch Hall, but schedules for specific committees can be found at http://www.emich.edu/regents/meetings.php.
