The Student News Site of Simmons University

The Simmons Voice

The Student News Site of Simmons University

The Simmons Voice

The Student News Site of Simmons University

The Simmons Voice

Editorial

There are a number of pressing issues in front of us as a nation that cry out for action, but the one that most affects us as students is the skyrocketing cost of tuition.

We hear countless stories of bright-eyed students graduating, only to find themselves bound by crushing debts, despite their talent, hard work, and ambition. Is it their fault? After all, they chose to go to college, didn’t they?

But in an age when fast food restaurants require that entry-level employees have bachelor’s degrees, getting a college degree is a necessity, not a choice. Don’t blame us for doing what we have to do.

Matt Taibbi, writer for Rolling Stone, says the root of the problem is the commercialization of higher education, which is being treated more and more like any other product in the marketplace, instead of a basic service to the society in which we all share a common interest.

Colleges and universities are competing with each other to attract the most students. They often do this not by strengthening their academic programs but by building bigger, flashier, and more expensive facilities. And the costs get passed on to the students.

Gorgeous sports arenas, state-of-the-art technology departments, and newly renovated dining halls may be attractive to prospective students. But once we reach our sophomore year, we are usually more enamored of our professors and classes, as the sparkle of new treadmills fades.

Simmons College has the opportunity to do something that few institutions of higher learning have done before – put the students first. Make this a truly student-centered institution not just in the sense that we are provided with material resources, but rather with savings that enable us to go out into the world and give something of value to it beyond just slaving to pay off our debts. And to take advantage of all the college offers while we’re here, instead of working two or three jobs to keep up with our bills.

Our college boasts some of the most impressive professors and staff available, and they should be the main draw. As more and more high school seniors read these firsthand accounts of deep debt, the idea of a college that is dedicated to protecting its students from this fate will become wholly appealing.

Our institution has this unique chance to redefine how colleges attract students, and for the sake of current and future attendees of Simmons College, we strongly urge our decision makers to capitalize on it by working to cut our costs without sacrificing our education in the process.

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