When it comes to higher education, many students end up paying at least a small amount out of pocket each semester, due to FAFSA only giving them a portion of grants and loans, and only being awarded a few (if any) scholarships.
Now that most classes at Winthrop University are offered online due to COVID-19, is this a hit to our presently lean student wallets, or a relief?
As for summer classes, learning online seemed worth it, at least financially. An email was sent out back in April from Interim President George Hynd, informing students about fee adjustments and reductions.
“The board’s action provides an additional 12 percent discount for all regular classes offered this summer only,” the email stated.
This discount on summer courses helped many students, but what about the fall semester?
The board did make the decision not to increase fall tuition, but that also did not decrease it at all. Although it is a positive feature that housing fees are reduced, given the current hardships for many and the fact that a good portion of the semester is online, even for the in-person classes, this decision likely was not the most groundbreaking.
In a time of such uncertainty, one would think the university’s budget consisting of over $100 million might have room to help families in need provide quality education for their teens going off to college. Surely, that amount of money provided for in the budget could afford to offer some kind of a discount to young adults who are risking their lives as part-time essential workers, whether it be working as retail sales associates or restaurant servers.
However, many students did catch a slight break, thanks to the Eagle Retention Grant. This grant provides small amounts of money to be given to juniors and seniors who have exhausted their financial aid and are left with a reasonable balance.
Nevertheless, with tuition prices remaining the same for fall, should this be considered a rip off due to the lack of personal attention and in-person lectures? Or, on a positive note, does this ease stress by not having to worry as much about public speaking and elements included as a part of in-person classes that many students would normally be stressed about? In those cases, perhaps this unique time to go to college might be somewhat of a pass for students.
Although online classes can include more busy work than sitting in lectures, when it comes to classes that require substantial interaction, team strategy and presentations, switching to online classes could become quite a relief for many. Online classes that require speeches and presentations are now featured via Zoom, Blackboard Collaborate, video recording and/or online discussion boards.
Although the work is still required, there is a substantial amount of pressure taken off students simply by not being in person. This element could now seem a bit unfair to those who may suffer from anxiety and had to push through to pass those types of classes in semesters prior.
It may seem like a pass to be able to trade in the involved and demanding type of work for assignments that do not require classmates to depend on each other through communication, brainstorming on projects, etc. Yet, this difference might not help give the students taking online classes a realistic experience to prepare them for the professional world.
Graphic by Lizzy Talbert
