Rutgers students say they are displeased about the recent tuition
increase.
Year after year as Rutgers students look
into their term bill before each fall semester, they each notice a common
trend. The total tuition continues to rise every year, to the displeasure of
many/ if not all of current Rutgers students.
Fellow sophomore John Garcia seemed concerned by the increase.
“Being a commuter at Rutgers, I do not have to pay for housing. However, I
notice how the university spends so much money toward the football program.
With the fees rising each year, it makes me wonder if both are related to each
other in some way.
Garcia and other students find themselves working more than one
job to pay the tuition.
“I have to work two jobs to help pay the tuition and looking at
the tuition rise definitely puts more pressure on me. It does not help too that
my grants that were given to me the last two years also lowered”.
Due to inflation, and several other
reasons, students have to compromise and pay the tuition every year despite the
cost of attendance increasing. Students are upset because they already have a difficult time
acquiring the money to attend school whether it is via financial aid, loans,
scholarships, etc.
In addition to the limited financial resources, students have also
grown angry with the university for failing to improve existing parts to the
school while increasing the tuition.
Junior Skylar Davis believes the increases are not justified. “
“I would be more accepting to the increase if the quality of
certain things here improved but sadly they still are still sub-par. There is
still poor housing for students. The quad dorms still have asbestos and the
Newell’s apartments have mold and issues with clean water. The school also has
not addressed not having enough buses to make the service work smoother. All of
these problems still exist but we have to pay more money. I want to pay for
what I am actually getting”.
More and more students believe that they are not getting their
money’s worth. While Rutgers is a prestige university, students do not agree
with how the university is spending its money.
Junior Anthony Belgrave feels that Rutgers is not prioritizing
fixing the current problems.
“Belgrave says, “While I'm not surprised that the tuition
continues to increase, I am a little frustrated at times by the university’s
decision making in regards to the funds.
Belgrave and other students point to the Starbucks trucks as
examples of unnecessary additions.
“I felt that the purchase of two Starbucks trucks were
unnecessary. While there is a profit from Starbucks, there are also many
Starbucks stores on campus. I feel as though that money can be used to improve
the existing infrastructure so that incidents like the Cook/Douglass power
outage do not occur”.
With incidents such as the power outage occurring, Rutgers
students believe that the university is not focused on improving the right
assets. A common belief is that Rutgers is consumed with primarily financing
the football team as a BIG 10 school when other problems exist.
Senior Kristen Charlery has grown frustrated
by the universities’ funds primarily going toward the football program.
“I think it is really messed up how we pay so much tuition just
for it to be put into football. Rutgers tries so hard to be viewed as a
football school yet we barely focus on what is bringing success to the
university which is our students and their academics”.
Charlery believes the tuition increase shows how the university
does not appreciate its students.
“Rutgers is considered a prestige academic school yet all the
students get in return for their hard work is a tuition increase. It shows you
just what their true focus is. That focus is athletics but football in
particular”.
Overall, the majority of Rutgers students do not agree with the
tuition increase. Many are dissatisfied due to financial circumstances while
others want to see a significant change occur to warrant an increase.
With a potential increase bound to happen next year as well, more
and more Rutgers students will continue to be outraged and face financial
struggles to overcome the increase. This will not be the last we hear about
this issue as students could potentially voice their opinions in the future if
the tuition continues to increase.
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