$1,600,000,000,000. You probably didn’t read that number thoroughly, but that’s 1.6 trillion dollars.

You might ask, “why is that number significant?” Well, that’s the cumulative amount of money that Americans owe in student loans. That amount is simply astronomical. So when my fellow students get a little heated about Syracuse University raising tuition, especially in the middle of a pandemic, I understand their viewpoint.

I realize they could be upset that SU’s tuition is already almost double the national average for private universities. Or maybe they’re upset that this year’s tuition went up as available services and classes went down. Or that SU has $1.35 billion in an endowment fund that it refuses to touch. They could even be upset by the fact that other top-ranked universities froze or lowered their tuition for the year, yet SU didn’t budge.

As I look at the list of possible grievances, it’s easy to see why one might not be inclined to take the university’s side on this. But let me do my best to try and reason you through SU’s decision. If you still feel cheated after you hear me out, at least you gave it a shot. Afterall, it is a lot of money, and Sallie Mae’s insatiable thirst can be intimidating.

It’s clear that SU is not the cheapest option you can pick for a college education. However, have you ever actually looked at what the campus has to offer? Transportation, the Barnes Center at The Arch, more than 200 academic programs, NCAA Division 1 athletics, research opportunities and career services, to name a few. Do you think any of those things are free?

As demand for services go up, so will tuition. That’s just the natural order of things. If you want lower tuition, then services that the university currently provides have to go. Answer me this: if SU didn’t provide transportation to and from South Campus, how many students’ lives would get more difficult? What if our sports teams were not renowned, and there were no more tailgates?

But the cost of SU’s tuition is simply one grievance. What about the fact that we’re paying more for less this semester? Well, I don’t know what you want SU to do. At least we’re here! We can see our friends for meals, we can sit on the Quad, we can even attend social events as long as safety protocol is followed. Compared to other schools, this is pretty good.

Of the universities that decided to either reduce or freeze tuition this year — including Princeton University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — most chose to take all courses online or severely limit who could come to campus. Those that did allow students on campus, such as the University of Alabama, have seen massive coronavirus outbreaks.

There’s a tradeoff to be made here. You can reap the benefits of paying less for school but either stay home or get sent home. Or, you can pay a little more so the university can afford to buy 3,476,150 disposable masks, or 35,280 bottles of hand sanitizer, or even the MERV 13 air filters in 160 air handling units across campus.

Another grievance is that an increase in tuition makes SU less accessible to low-income families. Though a very valid point, SU’s 2020-21 budget also includes a “historic” $300 million in student financial aid, said Keith Kobland, media relations manager at SU.

“That financial commitment, which represents a 7% increase over the previous fiscal year, will ensure the doors of opportunity are kept wide open for students of promise and talent from across the socioeconomic spectrum,” he said.

Now, the efficacy of this aid commitment is yet to be seen, but it does show the university is at least making an effort. I must point out that the 7% increase in financial aid is slightly less than double the tuition increase of 3.9%.

The university has also made possible numerous other sources of aid, such as CARES Act funding, the Syracuse Responds Fund and the Hendricks Chapel Student Opportunity Fund and Food Pantry.

I realize we all would rather pay less for our already expensive university, but this year has come with enormous costs. Someone has to front the money, and you have to expect that SU is reluctant to bear the full burden.

William Ducott is a sophomore finance, business analytics and economics major. His column appears bi-weekly. He can be reached at wtducott@syr.edu.

Published on September 29, 2020 at 10:01 pm