For many, affording to stay enrolled in college can be a great challenge. The average full-time undergraduate student pays about $1,240 a year just on course materials like textbooks.
A Gallup and Lumina Foundation survey found that 55% of U.S. adults without a college degree did not pursue higher education because of the cost of enrollment. A 2024 survey by Ellucian revealed that 59% of college students considered dropping out due to financial stress, and nearly 80% reported negative impacts on their mental health as a result.Â
Hundreds of thousands of people in our country are unable to further their education just because of financial stress.Â
The U.S. Government Accountability Office found that approximately 3.8 million college students experienced food insecurity in 2020, with a majority reporting skipping meals. What does it say about our education system when so many students have to choose between paying for class or paying for dinner?Â
It says that it is truly broken and needs a fair amount of fixing.
Students are already paying an exorbitant amount of money to attend a university or college, not including the price of their course materials. These extra costs are not included in the tuition price and can be the difference between a student being able to afford school or not. Institutions should provide clear breakdowns of all costs, including hidden fees, to prospective students.
Ithaca College is attempting to combat this problem through resources like the Student Emergency Relief Fund, a financial aid programaiming to help students pay for textbooks and other course materials not provided by the school.
IC students also have access to Prunty’s Pantry, an on-campus food pantry. Located in the Campus Center, the pantry is open to all students, staff and faculty, helping fight against the rise of food insecurity.
Luckily, approximately 93% of IC students receive some sort of financial assistance. Students facing unforeseen and unanticipated expenses can apply for up to $300 in aid, available through two disbursement options: direct deposit or through course material vouchers. The Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life is in charge of reviewing students’ applications and granting appropriate financial support. An itemized list of expenses is required for an application to be considered.
The BOLD Women’s Leadership Network at IC is also working to help students afford their education. The Helen Gurley Brown Foundation has awarded a BOLD Magic Grant to the BOLD Scholar Class of 2024
The class has been aiming to use this grant to provide a sustainable way for students and faculty to donate course materials for student access. Students can access donated textbooks and other course materials in two-hour intervals through the library.
Another way for colleges and universities to make resources affordable is by adopting inclusive access models such as Open Educational Resources, a public digital library of teaching, learning and research materials intentionally created for free access. From 2017 to Fall 2024, OER has helped students in SUNY schools save over $105.7 million in school-related costs.
The college also has its own Libguide, an online catalog through OER, which provides textbooks for specific courses available at the college. These textbooks are free of cost and yet are not effectively presented as a useful resource for prospective and current students by the college.Â
Universities and colleges should be using and advertising programs like OER, pushing for more students to access higher education easily.
When free programs like OER exist, schools should be taking advantage of the opportunity to attract more students. They should be financially transparent and include hidden fees like the cost of textbooks in their sticker prices, allowing for a more financially diverse student body.
