Editor’s note: Payne was a member of the UNC Board of Governors from 2000 to 2002.
“Nickel and dimed!”
Those were the first words out of Kenya’s mouth when I asked her about her first day at N.C. State. Kenya, a freshman from Goldsboro, was grumbling about the excessive costs associated with attending one of North Carolina’s greatest institutions of higher education.
This academic school year, in-state undergraduate students will pay more than $16,000 to attend NCSU; out-of-state students will pay more than $23,000. Those figures include tuition, fees, room, food, personal expenses and transportation.
But you see, no one in high school ever tells you that once you get done paying all that money, you still need to shell out another couple hundred dollars for university “add-ons.” Those add-ons include fees to electronically submit your homework (WebAssign), clicker response systems to track your class attendance and personal laptop computers.
Perplexed by the growing number of additional expenses, Kenya, a first generation college student, asked me how I would deal with such extraneous fees. As a longtime student advocate for affordable and accessible educational opportunities, I’m quite familiar with the University’s greediness, so I was quick to respond.
Pay to submit homework? That’s a joke. Professors cannot require students to purchase WebAssign access codes and must make alternative arrangements for students to submit their homework. Don’t believe me? Try it. If a professor resists, just simply say, “costs related to the classroom experience are covered through tuition and fees.
The University’s academic policies do not allow faculty members to charge students to submit homework. Additionally, the WebAssign fee is not a mandatory fee — all mandatory fees must be approved by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.”
I told Kenya to be strong when confronting her professor, as professors think they know everything. I used WebAssign for years and never had to pay for it, and neither should anyone else.
According to the University’s rule book, “Full participation in classes, laboratory period and examinations is expected of all students. Teachers in 100- and 200-level courses must keep a record of attendance throughout the semester.
Clicker devices are used by teachers to keep track of attendance. But nowhere — and I mean nowhere — are teachers given the ability to require students to purchase these devises.
So don’t. If a professor gives you flack, tell them this: “Unfortunately, I cannot afford this additional expense. It was not properly disclosed to me on my tuition bill and the University does not require that I pay it. I will, however, pledge to be in class and will simply raise my hand to indicate my attendance.”
Again, I told Kenya to be strong when confronting her professor as professors think they know everything. I have more classroom hours under my belt than perhaps any other student at NCSU, and I never purchased a clicker to prove that I was attending class.
Although it was her first day, Kenya learned a valuable lesson — the University will nickel and dime you to death if you don’t stand up and say no. Remember, although it is a privilege to attend NCSU, you are still footing the bill.
E-mail Andrew about hidden costs at [email protected].
