Students voice concerns, frustration over latest tuition hike

Last year, when USC students opened up their e-bills, they were greeted by an unexpected sight: Unbeknownst to them, their tuition had increased by $1,978 for the 2016-2017 academic year. This year, when USC released a statement announcing another 3.9 percent increase for the 2017-2018 academic year, students were irate at what many viewed as another unjustified hike.   

While the administration states that the hike is lower than it has been in previous years, tuition will be $2,006 more than last year and will total $53,448.

Most students do not pay the full amount. Nearly two-thirds of undergraduate students benefit from some form of financial aid, according to the USC Financial Aid website.

However, many feel that this is not enough to combat the tuition hikes.

David Delgado, a junior majoring in theatre production and gender studies, is worried that the tuition hikes could force him to work even harder or go into more debt.

“I am able to attend USC predominantly by scholarships as well as financial aid,” Delgado said. “I already work way too much because I’m a low-income student with two jobs. It just puts more undue stress, especially on poor or financial aid students.”

Sajani Raja, a freshman studying health and human sciences major, is also concerned about the possible impact of the hike.

“My parents are paying for two kids going through college right now and that’s already enough of financial stress on my family,” Raja said. “I don’t know if USC can do anything to mitigate that cost, but at least they could tell us where the money is going.”

This year, in an effort to be more transparent, the University released a statement announcing the tuition hike. The University cited the importance of having a large financial aid pool.

“We want to create a high-touch environment that ensures all students have access to the world’s best faculty, academic programs that prepare them for the 21st Century, high-value internships and career services, and an exceptional residential college experience,” Provost Michael Quick said in a statement.  “I am proud that we provide ways to lessen the impact of a tuition increase with financial assistance so that we can continue to provide new and returning students with a challenging and relevant USC education.”

But Raja doesn’t think that that is enough.

“If there [was] a clearly stated reason for the increase in tuition, then perhaps I would be able to admit that the school needs students to pay more to meet its growing expenses, but the students have been told nothing,” Raja said. “The tuition hike essentially throws students who are already set to graduate with more debt than most of their peers in America under the bus with no justification.”

Nadja Barlera, a senior majoring in English, thinks that transparency is just a small part of improving the tuition policy.

“This year they tried to release more information about it,” Barlera said. “But they’re still not doing what we asked for. They’re not listening to our demands in any significant way.”

As a leader of the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation, Barlera hoped to drum up enough support to organize a rally. In response to the tuition hike last year, Barlera organized a protest after a student petition with 850 student signatures calling for a tuition freeze was unsuccessful.

Raja criticized the University’s response to student protests.

“It seems like the administration is very removed from student organizations, and that our voice doesn’t necessarily matter,” Raja said. “Even though there’s all this talk about the tuition hikes obviously they’re going to go through with it anyway.”

As the University grapples with the issue of tuition in the coming years, Delgado thinks USC needs to refocus on its students.

“We, the students, have worked so hard to get USC where it is and without its students, a university is useless,” Delgado said.

Barlera hopes that the administration adopts a static tuition policy for all students, in which the cost would remain the same all throughout a student’s time at USC.

“Students should have the same tuition for the whole time they’re in college,” Barlera said. “It shouldn’t change year to year.”

Delgado hopes that the University will more fully address the needs of struggling students.

“In the future, we should look to supporting our students instead of making a name for our University,” Delgado said. “[We should] stop the expansion, stop the promotion of how great USC is, and really look inward toward the University and solve the problems we have on the day to day.”

Sofia Bosch contributed to this report.