College is a major expense and, often, a major source of debt. We are now seeing colleges around the country tell students to pack up and leave and they will finish the semester remotely. But wait. What about the costs? As anyone paying for college will tell you, there are countless fees, all of which are attributed to on-campus costs, on top of the ever-increasing tuition. Fees covers things such as sporting events (cancelled), on-campus resources (no longer available), rec center fees (not accessible), library fees (closed), etc. The list of fees rivals that of any CVS receipt. Should families be refunded? I think so. People may call this insensitive, but I disagree. That money will make a difference in people’s lives. If families paid for a meal plan, for instance, and now they have another person at home, their home expenses will go up. Is it fair for the universities to keep that? Students paid fees for technology access but now have to use their own resources anyway. Who should bear the brunt of these expenses that are no longer relevant: the institutions or the families that struggle to keep up with the costs? This change can hit low income families particularly and disproportionally hard. And what about students who do not have a safe place to return? They may now have to take on additional expenses of finding a place to live. These are real issues hitting families right now and as they watch their 529 plans and other investments tank (if they were fortunate enough to have such investments) and jobs in danger, the issues loom large.
And what about online classes vs on-campus? In-person costs per class are typically higher than online classes; will students and families be compensated for that? Look, we are not talking about minor expenses where people can so easily look the other way. These are big dollars, at institutions that charge astronomical fees that go up every year. The burden should not be on the families. I understand why a 100% refund might not be possible given administrative costs, but families should not be stuck with entire bill, either. If there’s a doubt, it should be in favor of students and families.
These issues are more than just economic. What about students with special needs? What are the schools doing to ensure that students who need accommodations can be accommodated under the Americans with Disabilities Act? Will the virtual learning centers be accessible to everyone? What about students who do not have ready access to reliable internet? These are real questions and I have no doubt the universities are working with their law firms to protect their position.
I know I am not alone in this thought. Here are some comments from one university facebook page after announcing a tiny refund for housing costs, but silent on tuition and fees.
“My child has always done poorly with online classes. She has a lot of anxiety over this change as I'm sure other students do as well. Will this be addressed?”
“There is a drastic difference in value between online courses and in-person classes, the University should recognize this and provide credits or refunds to address the situation fairly.”
“10% is absolutely criminal, there is much more than 10% of the semester left”
“Wait so if my kid comes home and doesn't get to finish his semester on campus then we are still going to be charged the full rate minus 10%??? this is not acceptable!”
“Some students don't do as well in online courses compared to in person classes. Will instructors take this into account when determining grades, in both the undergraduate and graduate levels?”
“Students pay a lot of fees for library and technology uses. Off campus students are now going to be utilizing their own internet/resources. How will this be addressed”
“Classroom instruction is approximately $1200 per credit – [university] online classes are $600 per credit how will you address the cost difference for the 51% or the remaining semester?”
If you want to read more on this topic, here are some articles discussing these issues. I am sure there are others:
Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments below.
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