+
sports
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017
Josh Jackson selected No.4 overall by Phoenix Suns
OPINION
KANSAN.COM
Swan: Rising tuition may deter potential students
KATY SWAN
@catladykaty
At the end of 2016, the total national student loan debt exceeded $1.4 trillion.The average debt per student is over $37,000,and 43 million students borrow money to attend college. Nonetheless, millions of people do not attend college due to financial problems.
State universities in Kansas will see a tuition increase for the 2017-18 school year. Most of the increases span from 2.5 to 2.9 percent for both in-state and out-of-state students.
For a resident student, this is approximately a $200 increase, and for a nonresident student, about a $520 increase.
With the University's tuition being the most expensive in the state, tuition already higher than the 2015-16 academic year, and Kansas' ongoing budget problems, things are looking grim for students who pay their own way through college. While a 2.5 percent increase seems minuscule to many, to some it is a breaking point. That's simply more money to borrow, more hours to work, more stress to have.
According to the National Student Financial Wellness Study conducted at Ohio State University in 2015,70 percent of college students feels stressed about money issues. Approximately 32 percent of students reported neglecting their studies because of finances. Some students reduce their class load to cut costs, while others take breaks from school or transfer to a cheaper institution.
However, more than 75 percent of students surveyed think college is "a good investment for their financial future."
This is with good reason. It is stressed time and time again that those with a college degree make more money in their lifetime than someone who does not, on average.
But, paying off loans can delay many life events, such as owning a home, getting married and starting a family, and saving for retirement.
The idea that anyone can "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and pay for higher education is an outdated one. For some, this is simply untrue. Many different factors influence a person's ability to pay
for the costs of college. For most, this is not due to laziness or grades but to genuine financial problems.
While loans are able to cover a large portion of tuition, especially students who receive pell grants, there are unceasing additional costs included in higher education like housing, meals, books, fees, parking passes, sports tickets, travel costs and entertainment (because who wants to work their way through the alleged "best years of your life" and have absolutely no fun?).
Countries with free (not entirely free, taxpayers
absorb portions of the costs) tuition like Germany and Denmark have received praise. While it would be a complicated endeavor for the United States to employ such a plan, and no one attending the University currently will probably see improvements before graduation, I can only hope to see progress towards the growing issue of college affordability.
Katy Swan is a junior from El Dorado studying community health and psychology.
ternoons have been spent cheering for the Jayhawks through thick and, unfortunately, a lot of thin moments. But, it's impossible to argue that the stadium doesn't need improvements.
It's the seventh-oldest stadium still used by an FBS team. It shows signs of wear across its exterior. It's severely outdated by contemporary standards.
Kansas Athletics announced that a $300 million renovation will be coming to Memorial Stadium, which will include an indoor practice facility and infrastructure upgrades.
Miranda Anaya/KANSAN poor proactive facility and
It's undoubtedly time for an upgrade.
thing else at the University.
This is a great move for all interested parties. For the fans, it's going to enhance the game-day experience for the die hards who trek down the hill to see the Jayhawks play. For the players, specifically future recruits, it becomes a more inviting and
Discussing college athletics finances is a great way to find out that someone has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Kansas football isn't going to use $300 million that otherwise would have gone to improving the School of Education or updating equipment in the School of Journalism or whichever department you feel is underfunded.
Things like the Williams Fund and private donors are main sources of income for supporting Kansas Athletics projects. It's understandable that seeing a huge sum of money being spent on football facilities could cause a stir, considering the financial straits the University might be facing in some areas. The reality, though, is that this money will be completely disconnected from the rest of the University.
Football is a massive tool for recruiting (both athletically and for general students), alumni relations and income, and if you don't see that then you simply aren't paying attention.
Alabama is a perfect case study for this. A gold standard for college football, the Crimson Tide's on-field success has generated an unconscionable amount of money
and publicity for that school. It's unrealistic for Kansas, or really any program, to think it can reach Alabama's level of success, but it's clear that improving football will improve the University in other areas.
Again, you need to spend money in order to make it. Putting money into the program now, or at least in the near future, will show dedication to the program and is going to help bring in more high-level recruits over time. The football team needs to get better, and this move will
help in that pursuit.
Most of the arguments against the spending come up baseless and sound unintelligent. The money isn't being stolen from other University programs. Memorial Stadium is nearly 100 years old — it needs to be repaired and updated.
And if your argument is based around asking why you would spend $300 million to help a football team that won two games in the last two seasons combined, take a moment and think critically.
Why wouldn't you spend money to try to improve the program? What else would you do, just ignore the disaster and let the team fall into irreparable ruin? That notion is ridiculous and poorly thought out at best.
The cost of this project is a small price to pay for improving the team, and subsequently the University, over time. Don't get caught up in the price tag or the view from your ivory tower. Trying to better the football team is better for all of us who support the University.
.
+
4