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Kevin Cassini
Professor Koch
English 101.35
Persuasive Essay
March 25th 2013
Bloomsburg University should restructure its tuition for out of state
students. If the University decided to reduce the price for out of state students from
$28,000 a year to a more financially realistic tuition, such as $18,000 per year, more
students would view Bloomsburg as a realistic option to further their education.
Financial insecurity remains the primary reason why many out of state students
decide against attending Bloomsburg University. Additionally, it will allow students
from Pennsylvania to be exposed to a more culturally diverse setting due to the fact
that they will be able to interact with students from various areas that act and think
in a different conduct than that of their local norms. Lowering the tuition price for
out of state students subsequently provides Bloomsburg University with a higher
likelihood of gaining new students in comparison to other state schools.
The overly inflated price of $28,000 a year for education at Bloomsburg
University should be lowered. In addition to the countless hours of hard work and
studying, attending Bloomsburg is a major financial commitment that some
prospective out of state students cannot make. Personally, as an out of state student,
attending this school was a very bittersweet experience. I fell in love with the
campus and the school as a whole, but paying $28,000 a year instilled a sense of
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stress for my family and I both due to the financial burden that we accepted would
come along with it. Just because a student lives out of state his or her family ends up
paying more then double the amount of tuition of instate students that attend
Bloomsburg University. This major difference in tuition for instate students
compared to out of state students constitutes a negative aspect in regard to the
school and is a deterrent for out of state students to attend this university. By
lowering tuition by $10,000 a year a substantial increase in the amount of out of
state students that chose to attend Bloomsburg University would be shown, in
addition to the increased students that remain enrolled for all four years.
Economic instability is also a major contributing factor as to why
Bloomsburg should lower its tuition for out of state students. For the past five years
our economic conditions due to the poor economy have been some of the worst
since the great depression of 1933. Coming up with the money to attend college
while our economy was in better shape proved to be hard enough, but currently it
seems as if you need to give an arm and a leg for each semester. This is not only a
trend shown at Bloomsburg, but also the other state schools such as East
Stroudsburg University, Kutztown University, and Shippensburg University. I do not
believe it is fair for those who live in Pennsylvania to pay less than four times than I
do because we all attend the same exact University and receive the same education.
Why would where a student comes from impact the price of his or her education?
The constant argument of transferring to a state school back home persisted
throughout my house since the day my family received the first bill for tuition.
Fortunately for me my grandfather set up an account that I can use towards my
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tuition, but many students are not as fortunate. I could very easily go to Rutgers
University and receive what some believe to be a better education for nearly half the
price. In fact, nearly thirty-five students out of the one hundred and eighty five that I
graduated with chose to attend Rutgers University. Additionally, another 25 decided
to go to other New Jersey state schools. Coming from a very wealthy area in New
Jersey financial worries were never a worry until I chose Bloomsburg University.
That will no longer be a worry if I decide to transfer to a school that is more
affordable.
Bloomsburg University competes with several other universities such as East
Stroudsburg University, Kutztown, and West Chester. If tuition is lowered within the
next few years Bloomsburg will move onto the highest level, competing with Penn
State, Pitt and Temple. By lowering tuition for out of state students, Bloomsburg
University’s student population would grow drastically, positively impacting our
University as a whole. Currently, there are roughly ten thousand students who
attend Bloomsburg University. During a prospective students tour of the school,
Michelle, my tour guide, said the school was estimated at 80% instate students who
pay six thousand a year for their education. My best friend Mike De John back in my
hometown, Pequannock, had been accepted into both Bloomsburg and Temple
University. We both loved the campus at Bloomsburg and became ecstatic at the
news of possibly spending the next four years together by studying at the same
University. The De John family already put Mike’s three older siblings through
school, therefore eliminating Bloomsburg as an option for the De John family
because of the high price of tuition. Mike ended up attending Temple, but constantly
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visits Bloomsburg and still believes it is the school for him. By reducing the tuition
of out of state students more students would attend the university, which would
lead to more funding. This would in return make our university compete with the
major universities in Pennsylvania.
In my eyes I do not see a reason as to why out of state tuition should not be
lowered down to $18,000. Lowering tuition would positively impact our University
by making it more available for students to attend to earn their degree. An
individual does not have the opportunity to choose what financial state his or her
family state is in or where the family resides, so why have out of state tuition be
more then double the amount of the instate? Bloomsburg University Officials, please
consider my proposal and learn from my personal experience: Bloomsburg
University is the only university I want to attend, but I may not have another choice
soon. I am just one student out of over 10,000 here who struggles with the financial
aspect of the school, so please consider my proposal to not only benefit the students
you educate, but your University.