By Jessica Caswell
College is an expensive asset to have these days. So expensive, a Sac State graduate is willing to sell her virginity to continue on at Sac State for her master’s degree. That’s right everyone--her virginity.
Most people would probably say that you can not put a price on something as special as one’s first time in sack. But, 22-year-old Natalie Dylan (not her real name) thought this just might be the way to pay for graduate school. Now, the moral issue of this situation isn’t the point trying to be made. However, the fact that students nowadays have to go to such extremes to be able to pay for their college degrees is ridiculous.
Sac State students might not know some of the fees that are included when paying thier tution. If students are not aware of these extra fees, why is it OK to charge the fees without making it an option? Below is the list of fees students pay, assuming they signed up for more than six units at Sac State.
-State University Fee- $1,524
-Student Body Association Fee- $129.50
-University Union Fee- $189
-Facilities Fee- $3
-Instructional Related Activities Fee- $8
-Health Services Fee- $71
-Hornet Newspaper- $2.50
The grand total of the fees is $1927. That is up $200 from last semester.
What some of these fees are seems to be another issue for students? What exactly is an instructional related activities fee? Most students have no idea what it applies to in their college education.
“I have no clue what that is,” Sac State student Julie Tcha said. “I didn’t even know we got charged for it.”
Well, we do. Doing research on the Sac State website isn’t always the easiest of tasks either. It’s like the university doesn’t want someone to find this information.
So after all of that, the definition of the fee was even more confusing to understand. Its example of the fee was laboratory experiences, which are at least partially sponsored by an academic discipline or department and which are, in the judgment of the President, integrally related to its formal instructional offerings.
What the heck does that mean? If anybody knows please feel free to comment and help everyone understand it. This also does not include the cost of textbooks and parking fees.
Another fee students have to look forward to at Sac State, is the fee to take the writing proficiency exam. That’ll cost a student $25. Oh yeah, let’s not forget the fee to apply to graduate, which is $43. Isn’t the point of going to college to graduate? If something is mandatory to graduate, a fee will follow. The student has no choice but to fork out the cash.
What’s a college student to do in these situations? Well, there’s not much anyone can do. The fees have to be paid if the student wants to attend the university but, there are ways to help pay for college. Students should go into their college’s financial aide office to see what options are out there.
Maybe that’s the route Natalie Dylan took and nothing else seemed better than selling sex over the internet. Surely others out there would probably beg to differ.
2 comments:
one thing is certain: as expensive as sac state is, it's a lot more affordable than many other colleges out there. i can't complain tooooo much. although i am now facing student loans, and my solution to paying them is getting back into school. master's degree, here i come! and maybe after that, i'll pursue a phd........ the moral of the story is to stay in school as long as possible...!
The writer of this column shows lots of enthusiasm for the topic, but falls short in execution of providing enough details and a logical framework for getting the readers riled about college fees.
The column starts with a wild beginning - the whole business about a graduate student supposedly selling her virginity to finance education - then makes an abrupt shift to the more mundane 'we pay too much in fees.'
The fees are referred to as 'extra' fees, though the difference between extra and non-extra isn't explained.
The writer has a good column idea here: Lots of strange fees, the need for better communication, funding.
This column needs some reorganization, some editing (cut out the textbook lament, it's too much and doesn't add to the argument) and a stronger finish to tie it to the beginning.
This column, however, could provide fodder for at least a half dozen future columns. One on just the virgin grad student would be fascinating to consider. What moral, ethical and legal arguments surround that whole situation?
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