2008 Woodie Awards
Staff Editorial
Rising Tuition Costs: Is Smith Asking Too Much?
Issue date: 4/7/05 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Higher education is a business, and one with costs that rise much more quickly than average, nationwide economic trends. As such, it is understandable that the administration would ask students to contribute more and more each year to the costs of running the College. However, the 5.5 percent increase seems excessive and especially threatening to students with large financial aid packages. Many of these students have experienced tuition increases in years past, and along with them, felt the repercussions of the discrepancies between the administration's promises of proportionally-increased financial aid and the packages actually offered.
A lowered endowment is partially to blame, and has its own long list of contributing factors. Increases in professor salaries, energy costs and building projects are a large bulk of the current expenses. Alumnae alienated by the administration over the recent dining changes are reluctant to donate in as large quantities as they have in the past.
As costs rise from this year's total of $38,886 to $41,024, the administration maintains that the change is within the college's long-term financial plans. This increase is not disproportionately large in comparison by those introduced during the years in which any current Smith student attended the college. Specifically, overall fees for attendance of Smith College rose 4.9 percent between 2001-02 and 2002-03, 5.4 percent between 2002-03 and 2003-04, and 5 percent between 2003-04 and 2004-05.
What is most troubling is the overall effect of such substantial annual cost increases. Specifically, this year's graduating class paid $33,304 for their first year at Smith, and the class of 2009 will be paying $7,720 more, just four years later. Are the college and the services it offers changing so rapidly that this rate is actually necessary?
A student should not have to question whether or not she is returning because of a rise in tuition. Even when Smith does provide generous financial aid, the college must convey the message to low-income prospective students that they can attend a school whose degree costs over $160,000. Where will our younger sisters, our friends, our daughters stand financially in the years long after we've graduated? How can we be expected to make a substantial commitment to an institution that is unwilling to promise us any financial consistency?
If the college does increase financial aid proportionately, legitimately offering aid to every student who demonstrates need to the full extent of their need, then the campus can look forward to a greater economic diversity next semester. If not, the chasm between those who can afford to attend Smith - whether on aid or not - and those who simply cannot, will grow ever wider. Smith College purports to be an institution valuing vast diversity in representation as well as in opinions, yet should the Office of Student Financial Services and the administration in general fail to live up to their promises, the campus will only become more exclusive and narrow-minded.
The Staff Editorial is written alternately by members of the Editorial Board. The topic and position are chosen by the Editorial Board at weekly meetings, but do not necessarily reflect the views of all Sophian staff members.
A lowered endowment is partially to blame, and has its own long list of contributing factors. Increases in professor salaries, energy costs and building projects are a large bulk of the current expenses. Alumnae alienated by the administration over the recent dining changes are reluctant to donate in as large quantities as they have in the past.
As costs rise from this year's total of $38,886 to $41,024, the administration maintains that the change is within the college's long-term financial plans. This increase is not disproportionately large in comparison by those introduced during the years in which any current Smith student attended the college. Specifically, overall fees for attendance of Smith College rose 4.9 percent between 2001-02 and 2002-03, 5.4 percent between 2002-03 and 2003-04, and 5 percent between 2003-04 and 2004-05.
What is most troubling is the overall effect of such substantial annual cost increases. Specifically, this year's graduating class paid $33,304 for their first year at Smith, and the class of 2009 will be paying $7,720 more, just four years later. Are the college and the services it offers changing so rapidly that this rate is actually necessary?
A student should not have to question whether or not she is returning because of a rise in tuition. Even when Smith does provide generous financial aid, the college must convey the message to low-income prospective students that they can attend a school whose degree costs over $160,000. Where will our younger sisters, our friends, our daughters stand financially in the years long after we've graduated? How can we be expected to make a substantial commitment to an institution that is unwilling to promise us any financial consistency?
If the college does increase financial aid proportionately, legitimately offering aid to every student who demonstrates need to the full extent of their need, then the campus can look forward to a greater economic diversity next semester. If not, the chasm between those who can afford to attend Smith - whether on aid or not - and those who simply cannot, will grow ever wider. Smith College purports to be an institution valuing vast diversity in representation as well as in opinions, yet should the Office of Student Financial Services and the administration in general fail to live up to their promises, the campus will only become more exclusive and narrow-minded.
The Staff Editorial is written alternately by members of the Editorial Board. The topic and position are chosen by the Editorial Board at weekly meetings, but do not necessarily reflect the views of all Sophian staff members.