College students have this incredible opportunity to gain skills, knowledge, connections and dreams, and open many more doors for themselves, if they make the most of it. But at what price?
Is it worth racking up loans that can take a lifetime to pay off? Graduating debt-free means starting life on the surface, but this is not the case for more than half of college graduates in Connecticut.
The burden of student loans weighs heavily on minds, bodies, and spirits. Earning a degree is difficult enough without facing immense financial concerns, such as weighing the option of advancing career opportunities through an unpaid internship versus working tirelessly at a paid job to reduce financial burdens. Imagine trying to swim with weights strapped to your ankles. Struggling to stay afloat and sinking deeper with each additional weight, until you can’t seem to breathe completely.
As a May 2024 graduate, this has become a time of reflection. My journey to higher education was a little different, but it was not without financial difficulties. I moved across the country on an athletic scholarship, but when the university lost its program during the COVID-19 pandemic, I lost the funds I was promised that were critical to my decision. My family and I found a way to manage the cost of transferring schools so that finishing my education was an option, and I never lost sight of that enormous privilege. The development of my mind and character during this time is something I wish more than anything to be a universal possibility.
audrey arnold
Justice is disappearing with every tuition increase. Less than half of state university funding comes from the state. Because of this lack of support, the only option for school systems is to further deplete student numbers.
The Connecticut State College and University Board of Regents has already approved a 5% tuition increase for all state college and university students to take effect in the ’24-’25 academic year. Not only that, but in a potential deal with Barnes & Noble, the board is proposing an automatic fee for textbooks with a premeditatedly small window of opportunity to opt out. This hidden cost would take more money from unsuspecting students, under the false pretense of making their lives easier.
Starting college is a characteristically exciting and overwhelming experience. Most students would agree that this feeling returns each semester with new demands. Students are unlikely to consider or know about the option of not receiving a surprise fee for textbooks. Especially for those who may be without the help of their family and therefore those who are likely to be more financially vulnerable. I’m sure the opt-out period ends before many students have even opened their Outlook account, much less had a chance to review their deluge of emails.
Finding creative ways to avoid the additional cost of course materials is an acquired skill. Textbooks can often be found online for free or even in the campus library. Others resort to sharing textbooks with classmates and splitting the cost. After four years, this textbook fee could cover at least nine credit hours. It’s another weight tied mercilessly to the ankles of students, so that CSCU can line its pockets, earning 10% of sales and half a million dollars from this contract.
At the end of what should be this life-changing experience, loans prevent students from reaching their full potential and excelling in the professional world.
A recent conversation I had with a fellow graduating senior illuminated a crucial factor that impedes problem solving. I casually shared my knowledge about the impending tuition increase and the response was, “It’s a good thing we’re getting out of here then.”
While a sense of relief does not always deserve to be accompanied by guilt, this interaction serves as a reminder that people will only care about situations of injustice that directly affect them. This is a lack of empathy for students whose education is threatened.
If we do not get involved in the fight for social justice, regardless of our personal interests, nothing will change. People will continue to suffer at the hands of these rigged systems that affect potential and power. Therefore, please join me in urging the Board of Regents and the state legislature to stop taking this opportunity away from equally deserving students.
Audrey Arnold recently graduated from Southern Connecticut State University.
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