Hello Friends,
Those of you who followed college basketball March Madness watched Davidson College's competition into the Elite Eight in the NCAA men's tournament. I was on the campus the day Davidson played Memphis and lost. The campus looked liked a ghost town because all the students were in the student center watching the game together. A great experience you would say. Of course, it is and it is made even better because as part of the tuition to Davidson, students get free laundry service.
Next year the expenses for freshmen will be $42,950 and of course that includes the laundry service. Davidson was beautiful, an outstanding academic environment, but do students really need laundry service?
Laundry service and many other perks are being demanded by students at colleges and of course, these services are not free. In fact, the perks students want are very expensive.
When did colleges become such luxurious spa like environments? Colleges are places of learning. When did luxury become synonymous with college?
USA TODAY reported that since 1982 consumer prices overall are up 95%, housing is up 124%, medical care is up 233% and college costs are up 375% according to the National Center for Public Policy and High Education.
College administrators say that if they do not offer these luxury items, they cannot compete with other colleges and would in fact lose students to those colleges who do offer the premium experience.
OK, why would a family pay for such luxury I ask? Although Davidson was a fabulous college, during my college tour, I visited many state colleges that offered as much if not more academically and were a fraction of the price. What about those families that are going into debt for these luxurious college experiences. Why? Have we proven that the laundry service really makes a difference in the outcome of the student? I would say - hey, learning to do one's own laundry is one of those learning experiences that we all just need to learn and certainly not one that an 18-year-old has earned the privilege to skip.
Call my foolish, but I think trying to keep colleges costs down especially when the number of high school age students starts decreasing seems like a smart economically move to me. But most importantly what is the main purpose of college? If we agree it is to get a good education in order to have employment options as well as a rich life, than what in the heck are we doing to our young adults.
I think we as older wiser adults, which most college administrators are, need to rethink what messages we are sending to our young adults.
As always, I welcome your comments on this issue.
Your College Connection,
