Editorial—Time To Talk Tuition

Your tuition is going to go up.  Again.  Everybody’s concerned about inflation, but few people realize how much tuition rates have inflated over the years.  Honestly, most people have a good distance to go before they catch up with what students have been seeing for years.  It’s gotten to the point now where some schools, like AU, for instance, get a larger percentage of their funding from their students than some so called charter or private schools.  So much for being a “public” university.

AUSU is starting a campaign today with the not-so-catchy but very direct moniker #StopAUTuitionHikes.  Hashtag included and recommended for those who want to get in on the fun.  What fun is that?  Well, heading to that hashtag on twitter should get you some pictures of exactly how much the tuition increase is going to cost many students in food.

The increase is currently expected to be about 5.5%, or about $30 per course.  That doesn’t sound like a lot of money, and I’m sure to Advanced Education Minister Nicolaides that’s cheaper than a bottle of okay scotch on a roof-top patio.  But to a lot of students, who have to stretch a student loan budget out over four months at a time, that can work out to several meals.  So, the idea is, you take a picture of just how much food $30 would have bought you, and tweet that to the Advanced Education Minister, @demetriosnAB, and the President of AU, @peter_scott, with the #StopAUTuitionHikes hashtag.

Even if you don’t want to show your own situation, look for the hashtag and retweet it.  The more people who understand just what tuition hikes are costing students, costing their kids or friends or family, the more pressure that brings to start thinking of education as an investment to the public, not a cost.

And while we’re on the subject of tuition, I want to remind everyone that there’s still time to sign up for AUSU’s Town Hall on Tuition and Fees.  AUSU wants your personal stories about how tuition hikes have affected you, even if the answer is “not very much”, just showing up to share and listen helps AUSU deliver an even louder message to the university executive and the Board of Governors.  They’re insulated right now from the effects of tuition hikes because all they see is the numbers.  With the Town Hall and new twitter campaign, AUSU is trying to make the people those numbers affect clear.  Help them and it just may end up helping you, not to mention your fellow students and all the students who come after you.  You’ll be like a leader in the fight to bring solid education to everyone.  And who doesn’t love a leader for a good cause, right?

Meanwhile, in this issue of The Voice Magazine, we’ve got a brand new student interview, and by brand new, I mean the student as well as the interview!  Alixis Rath recently came to AU and is on a path to eventually pursue her Bachelor of Commerce degree and open up her own bookkeeping business.  Plus, we’ve got a look at cybersecurity.  What is it, how can you have it, and what, of all things, does it have to do with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  Alek Golijanin takes us on a little trip to explore those questions.  And with the new economy, many people are starting to make their living from their own videos, so Xine Wang has some tips on how to set up your own content creation action.  Not to mention scholarships, events, reviews, advice, and so much more!  Enjoy the read!