USC fails to provide convenient, low-cost food options

It’s no secret that USC, sometimes jokingly referred to as the “University of Spoiled Children,” is expensive. Aside from the lofty tuition price, smaller costs such as buying textbooks and eating out can really add up. And yet, it appears that the University isn’t doing much to lower these inevitable costs. 

Many on-campus shops such as the USC Bookstore and Seeds Marketplace tend to be on the expensive side, at times even selling products above retail prices. The community-centered USC Village is home to high-priced restaurants and a nail salon. Not only is this unnecessary, but it also makes parts of the community fundamentally exclusive to students who have more money to spend. For those who cannot attend but still need the same supplies and resources, USC must do a better job of providing affordable options.

USC consistently boasts its socioeconomically diverse student body, writing that they have “one of the most abundant financial aid pools in the country.” According to the New York Times, nearly 5% of the student population of USC comes from the bottom 20% of wealth in this country. Yet, despite the fact that many students from low-income families attend USC, the school fails to provide convenient, low-cost options for basic college needs. 

In some cases, on-campus food options even upcharge basic items under the guise of “convenience.” At the popular Seeds Marketplace, an Rx protein bar costs about $4, while the same item costs around $2 at a regular grocery store.  

USC Village is also home to a slough of pricier eating options, such as Sunlife Organics and Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop. At Sunlife Organics, a Malibu-based chain, acai bowls are priced up to $35 and individual smoothies are sold at up to $28. While USC Village is often marketed as a community-focused shopping area, it is hard to believe this is actually the case. 

The average annual income in the community neighboring USC, historic South Central Los Angeles, is $40,000. Meanwhile, the average median income for a USC student is over four times that, at $161,000. While these expensive restaurants and nail salons are perhaps in demand by some select students, they are simply overpriced as compared to stores in the surrounding area. Many lower-income students and community members simply don’t have the money to spend on these expensive shops. 

Of course, eating out in general is not the best choice for someone on a strict budget. However, when it comes to more necessary expenses such as class supplies, USC again fails to promote affordability. The USC Bookstore is perhaps the most notorious example of the school’s focus on profit over practicality. Despite a poorly advertised “price match guarantee,” many students avoid the bookstore because of the overpriced products. Many professors even encourage students to order textbooks or class materials online due to the expensive nature of the more convenient bookstore. For example, students in a basic ceramics class at USC are required to buy a simple toolkit. At the bookstore, this kit costs nearly $40 after tax, while online at Blick, an arts supply company, it costs a mere $15. 

USC can feel like a bubble, where the stores on campus are the only nearby options to grab a snack or pick up school supplies. Unfortunately, these convenient options are often the more expensive ones. The school estimates that the average student will spend an additional $20,000 above the yearly tuition price on things such as room and board, transportation and textbooks. 

However, it is possible to reduce this cost and keep in mind those students who are on a tight budget. Instead of giving an expensive and exclusive nail salon or state-of-the-art bike shop a space at the USC Village, perhaps the school could try to insert a locally-owned, more affordable used bike shop or bookstore. At the very least, the University cannot continue to upcharge prices under the guise of “convenience” without providing any alternative for those who cannot afford it.