By Don Granese
Next year’s tuition prices are the smallest increase in twenty years, but that increase will still cost you an extra thousand dollars. According to Gerald Whittington, Elon’s Senior Vice President of Business, Finance and Technology, there are things that students can do to prevent prices from getting higher.
Sustainability has been one of the key Elon initiatives as the school put’s it’s 10 year plan for the future in action. Whittington says that the consumption of resources isn’t only bad for the environment, but it’s also driving up prices.
“At a base line, you’ve got to get to the point where you can just second nature… go out of a room and turn off a light,” said Whittington. He further explained that students should be “aware of how you’re consuming the resources, because quite frankly, you’re paying for them…you wouldn’t have to pay for them if we conserved them better.”
For some students, lower tuition prices are a reassurance that they will be able to continue their studies without having to worry about running themselves into debt.
“I sometimes have trouble getting the money together and I always spend the time having to look for loans and scholarships and outside resources to help me pay for it,” said Elon first year student Jillian Somero. “The only reason why I would transfer would be a money issue…but I’m staying positive and hopefully it works out,” she explained.
For students like Somero, tuition isn’t just an expense, it’s the deciding factor as to whether she can continue her academic career at Elon.
