Inquiring Minds: Rising tuition rates are not a huge deal

Having first-hand experience of the university, we students have some right to make suggestions (or, in a few cases, to whine).

One of our most popular complaints is having to spend $17,600 on something that seems like an overly-demanding job or, at times, a prison sentence.

An increase in overall tuition price should not incite students to armed rebellion just yet. President Black announced that Eastern’s tuition will increase four percent next year.

While many students groan as they see prices rise, they should also keep in mind that Eastern remains on the lower end of private college tuition. Inflation accounts for three percent of price increases, so in actuality Eastern students are paying a mere four percent more to attend school next year-about $18,300.

There are numerous public colleges who are raising their in state tuition as much as 15 percent.

Other private colleges like Villanova and Columbia universities charge students a base tuition rate of $28,450 and $30,260; this is before room, board and other fees are factored into the price.

Eastern, however, strives to provide students with a quality education that involves little or no hidden fees and reinvests a large portion of our tuition back into the student aid fund.

If anything, Eastern does not charge enough for students to attend. We are in a perpetual dance with the dollar when budget time rolls around.

For example, the loss of parking spaces in the gym lot for the construction of the turf field could have been avoided if Eastern had an extra cushion in its coffers to get the construction started on schedule.

Students are quick to point out that we have tattered furniture in the lounges and antiquated equipment in the labs but fail to recognize that many luxuries we have are from generous donors and successful fundraisers, not from tuition.

As the Waltonian has pointed out in the past, the bulk of tuition goes toward student aid, paying our faculty and staff and the general upkeep of the campus.

If we raise tuition rates more than we have in the past few years, we might have the funds to hire more full time faculty and fewer adjuncts to teach our classes-an investment much more critical than attractive rec centers.

We appreciate the administration for standing up for its students by keeping tuition low, but we also want to have money for the things that matter and make this school better for future classes.

Student complaints are often legitimate; administration recognizes this. Let’s not abuse our speaking privilege by taking hearing ears for granted.

Inquiring Minds is the collective opinion of the editorial staff and not necessarily representative of the entire staff. It is written biweekly by the managing editor and the editor-in-chief.