By Mallory McGovern
Rarely if ever does my daily email scroll prompt an undeniable impulse to vent. However, the inclusion of GW’s tuition increase, nestled among various world and school-related news, brought me to text my undergraduate friends in complete disbelief. While we had received our undergraduate degrees for around $25,000 of tuition payments (tuition, which was often completely covered for students through a combination of school and state funding), GW has asked its newest class to cough up $62,110 for one year of a Bachelor’s education. Now, I’m hardly the first person to weigh the pros and cons of public and private education. However, as someone who has experienced both, I hate to tell you that you’re being ripped off–mostly.
While I’ve almost finished my first year of graduate school at GW, this email transported me back to my senior year of high school. Full of ambition and the blind desire to move to an exciting city, I applied to GW and was ecstatic to not only be accepted but offered scholarships. However, the magic soon faded when I realized that my combined $45,000 worth of yearly funding wouldn’t even cover my tuition down to the level of an in-state school. Plus, the university would not permit me to combine my two scholarships, potentially leaving me with only $25,000 in coverage (or half of tuition at the time) at best. At 17, I didn’t really know much about the cost of living, but I did know that the expected family support (as calculated by the financial aid powers that be) of $17,000 plus loans was not happening. However, the final nail in the coffin did not come until accepted students weekend, where upon spending time with current students I realized that I was batting way outside of my family’s tax bracket.
I say all this not to brag that I had a pretty good SAT score in 2016, but to highlight the pure absurdity of this system. On multiple occasions, I’ve thanked my past self, crediting my decision as one of the smartest I’ve made. As a current graduate student, you could argue that I’m part of the problem and equally as privileged through my attendance. However, as a graduate student, I actually pay $110 less per credit hour than undergraduates. Furthermore, this tuition is comparable to the rates charged for the two public universities I considered attending as an out-of-state student.
While I’ve been impressed with my graduate education at GW, I can’t comprehend what undergraduates have been paying for. The cost certainly isn’t contributing to student fees, room and board, or transportation–all of which come with their own GW cost estimates. I must admit I haven’t attended any undergraduate courses at GW, but I can’t imagine the Intro to Philosophy course you’ve missed your alarm for three times this semester is worth nearly $6,000.
Of course, there are plenty of #OnlyAtGW experiences built into this tuition. The school undoubtedly has impressive alumni and professors, as well as an ideal placement in the nation’s Capital. However, at the end of the day, my less impressive degree might be ticking the same boxes as the modest suburban home mortgage GW has collected from its undergraduates.
All my vitriol aside, I’d be lying if the name and the location were not part of the reason I chose GW for my graduate studies. But I would be equally fallacious in not mentioning the generous tuition scholarship I received. At the end of the day, I loved my undergraduate experience, and I wouldn’t wish for anything less for any incoming or current GW student. While I don’t believe college is the “best four years of my life,” it’s certainly up there. However, the perfect professor, an unbelievable internship opportunity, or an impressive alumni connection would never be worth spending the rest of my life in crushing debt to pay for a 9 AM class that I could barely stay awake in anyway.
