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8/2/2019 The Tuition is Too Damn High EDITED
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The Tuition is Too Damn High
“Tuition will increase next year by approximately $1,400,
bringing the annual total to $32,810.” About two
months ago, I read those words in the school newspaper
of Marquette University. Before I even had the distantthought in my mind of being a student at Marquette, my
parents had
already
decided, in an
attempt to
build character
and ensure
that I truly
value my
education, that
I would be the
one paying the bill for tuition. So, as a college student
funding his own education, these words sat in my
stomach as well as a glass of milk that had sat out for
two hours too long. Although $1,400 isn’t a significant
amount of money compared to the amount of debt I’ve
already accumulated, it’s the principle of Marquette
asking for even more money while they throw it away
with poor spending habits. So I decided to take a stroll
down to the financial aid office of Marquette to find out
all the wonderful benefits I would be receiving from the
11 million dollar increase in Marquette’s revenue.
Walking into Room 121 of Zilber Hall (pictured right), I
was greeted with the faint smell of stale coffee and a
polite “Hello,” from a man behind his desk. It was this
man, a financial aid advisor for Marquette, who simply
told me that students of Marquette University “would
never see the 11 million dollars” generated by next
year’s increase in tuition. And Marquette is not the only
university increasing their tuition next year. Universities
across the U.S. are reporting anywhere from 3 to 5
percent increases in tuition for the next school year.
This leaves students like myself wondering; what are
these increases for? And are they truly necessary? A
college education is, by most people’s standards,
already outrageously expensive. And if the school is
going to make students pay more for their education,
shouldn’t said students be reaping the benefits of an 11
million dollar increase in revenue? According to that
financial advisor of Room 121 of Zilber Hall at Marquette
University, the answer is an unequivocal no. So, upo
receiving this answer, I began the search for where th
money was going, and how Marquette, along with othe
universities, could prevent tuition increases by cuttincosts elsewhere.
According to the article in The Marquette Tribune, som
of the money will go to a 3% increase for the salary poo
of faculty; which in my mind is an acceptable place to b
spending money. But that is the only actual planne
destination for the money. The Vice President o
Finance Chuck Lamb stated Marquette “would love t
have a zero percent
increase every year,
but running the
university costsmoney.” In my
personal opinion,
some of these
“costs” to run the
university could
easily be cut.
Just last week, I was eating lunch at the student unio
with some friends. A girl on the volleyball team joine
us, and brought with her two boxes of food. But th
wasn’t your normal, below average, meal-plan-provide
grub that is force fed to Marquette students. No, th
was fresh, catered, deliciousness in a box. She was kin
enough to share with us, and my taste buds were grace
with meat ravioli covered in delightful marinara sauc
accompanied by a bounty of fresh vegetables. This
the type of meal that is available to many of th
Marquette athletes on campus. While the non-athlet
Marquette students will never see the 11 million dolla
increase in revenue, especially in areas like food service
that need serious improvement, the athletes ar
indulging in gourmet
dishes.
This preferential
treatment is only the tip
of the iceberg of money
that Marquette throws at
student athletes,
especially the basketball
April 11, 20
8/2/2019 The Tuition is Too Damn High EDITED
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team. Every basketball player is granted a full ride
scholarship to Marquette, and according to the Athletic
Scholarships website, it costs about $140,000 to fund
each player. According to the Marquette Tribune, in
2008-2009, Marquette spent about 10.3 million dollars
on the basketball team and generated 13.4 million.
Marquette is one of two schools in the nation that spent
over 10 million, the other being Duke University, who,
let’s be honest, is a little more successful with their
basketball endeavors. Marquette, and many universities
across the country who place a strong emphasis on their
athletic department, could easily slash spending for
athletics by cutting down on the fancy food and
outrageous scholarships, and ease the burden on the
non-athletically inclined like myself by avoiding tuition
increases and maybe even granting additional academic-
based scholarships.
Most of my pondering on the subject of Marquette’s
spending habits occurred in the shower. This shower
can be found in the bathroom of floor 9 West of
McCormick Hall. This bathroom is a microcosm of
Marquette’s wasteful use of utilities. These bathrooms
are lit 24/7 and the
urinals are
constantly running
water. These
wasteful practices
occur throughout
all of campus, with
Zilber Hall itself
being constantly lit
even when
uninhabited. Water and electricity, especially in the city,
are not cheap commodities, with rates increasing each
year. Not only does this hurt the environment, but it
also has a heavy impact on the budget, forcing
Marquette to set aside extra money for utilities. Other
colleges, such as the University of Dayton, are saving
millions by switching to more energy efficient lightingand encouraging more conservative use of water.
Marquette and other inefficient colleges could adopt
these practices so as to avoid tuition increases for
students.
By the time I have completed my undergraduate
education and my post-graduate education in dental
school, I will begin the long journey to pay off upward
of $360,000 worth of debt (that is, if there aren’t an
drastic increases in tuition). And I’m not alone in thi
College students everywhere are plagued with th
burden of student loans. And with colleges continual
raising tuitions, this burden only grows larger and larger
Surprisingly, there was not much of a commotion from
Marquette’s student body when this increase wa
announced. Perhaps, students were too distracted wit
our beloved basketball team’s march to Marc
Madness. Maybe it was because many students let the
parents worry about such minor things; after all, it’s on
“their” money. Heck, there was a bigger outcry from
students at Penn State when Saint Joe was summari
dismissed from his post, and he was complicit t
covering up a felony! So, I challenge my fellow studentformer students, and even parents of students, to le
the governing boards of Marquette and universitie
everywhere know that these increases ar
unacceptable. Universities raise their prices becaus
they can. It is just an accepted rite that is rare
protested. Would they continue to push such increase
if the majority of the student body protested on th
streets of Milwaukee? Would conducting a sit-in on th
scale of the one in Madison change some minds? Mayb
some exposure on ABC Nightly News would cause them
to pause and look a little harder to cut 11 million dolla
from their operating budget. Or, would students rathe
pay the extra $1,400 per year so our athletes are we
fed just so we can, again, be disappointed after th
Sweet Sixteen?
W. Chiassso
Wesley Chiasson
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