Tuition Cuts Could Help Students Deal with COVID-19

It has been a few weeks since COVID-19 hit our world like a thunderbolt. Some people have adapted to it begrudgingly, and others have refused to acknowledge how dangerous the virus could be if it is not properly contained. Industries are undergoing large-scale shutdowns. Non-essential stores are closed, employees have been experiencing layoffs on a massive level, and every shelf containing toilet paper has been stripped bare by piranha-like shoppers.

As you all know, students, especially those in post-secondary school, are having to take their classes online. Now, I’ve already written about the importance of encouraging students to engage in human-to-human conversations in The Runner before. Nothing can help improve a person’s social skills like socializing, of course. However, with the arrival of the coronavirus, students have been robbed of the opportunities to experience actual human contact while learning. Instead, they have to rely on video conferences to finish the semester.

To cut to the chase, if all classes are online, tuition should be cut. I’m not saying, “Yeah, sure, let’s just take $100 off of this course since it’s online,” because that’s bullshit. We all know that in-person interactions with the teacher and other students are part of the education we paid full-price for. I’ve taken several courses that were basically prolonged PowerPoint presentations, but the boredom caused by these experiences was compensated for by the friends I made along the way. The spirit of education lies in sharing the learning.

The cost of tuition was already ridiculous to begin with. That, coupled with nearly unaffordable rent in Vancouver, is sheer madness — and that’s just for domestic students. The expenses for international students is far higher.

Since the spread of COVID-19 is still in its early stages, it’s inevitable that students will have to adjust to virtual classrooms for the long-term. Not only are we being denied the opportunity to interact with our fellow classmates face to face, but also, we are being denied access to various resources offered at KPU such as the gym and the Grassroots Café.

There’s also the question of how this pandemic will financially affect the university as a whole. Sure, with slashed tuition, universities may not be able to acquire as much money. But you know what? With the mass of jobless Canadians navigating the declining economy, KPU administration wouldn’t be the only ones struggling. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The same thing could be said for other universities. With today’s technology, contact between students and teachers can be accessed on a wide range of platforms — so long as the internet is available, lessons can continue. That being said, since many on-campus resources are unattainable at the moment, tuition should be reduced.