Arizona State University has been making many changes to students' schedules by changing most in-person, traditional classes to online/remote learning for the Fall 2020 semester. This not only hinders our ability to learn but also makes it difficult for us to get the most out of our classes and resources. Due to this transition, we do not believe that the tuition paid is equivalent to the material we receive.

The fact that school has transitioned to partially remote teaching means that we students are not gaining the same level of teaching from the university in addition to the fact that the school does not need as much money to run now that we are holding limited in-person instruction on our main campuses. Because of this, out-of-state students deserve to get a reduction in tuition because they cannot possibly utilize all of the resources compared to if all classes were traditional.

While we understand that considerable work was required to transition the school to an online model, we also recognize that the experience is nowhere near that of the in-person class experience. While it is helpful that Zoom has enabled students to participate in classes, and although professors have attempted to transition their unique learning model into a Zoom-setting, students and professors alike have freely acknowledged that it is a poor substitute for what we experience in-person.  By not providing a reduction in tuition to its in-person students, Arizona State University is signaling that, contrary to student and professor experience, Arizona State University believes the product is equivalent to its in-person classroom offering.

With this decision, students are also unable to access the amenities provided on-campus. Arizona State University students pay hundreds of dollars per semester in campus fees for access to things like recreation facilities, school-sponsored activities, athletics, and university centers. Limited access to these facilities or activities will be available to students for the Fall 2020 semester as many have moved off-campus, and even for those who have stayed, most facilities will be closed for the foreseeable future and all events have been cancelled in an effort to limit the spread of the virus.

With labs, classrooms and most facilities on campus closed, what is being done with student tuition? We demand that The Arizona Board of Regents that oversees Arizona State University reduce the tuition for out-of-state students accordingly to reflect the severity of imposed restrictions on academic & extracurricular activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many other colleges across the country, including Princeton University, have recognized these hardships and have awarded students a relief in tuition costs.

In a time where a significant and even unprecedented number of Americans are unemployed and lack job security, it is imperative that institutions that have the resources and capabilities to ease the burden on these families do so. As one of the wealthiest public institutions in the country, Arizona State University has the responsibility to provide immediate and meaningful relief to students.

A multitude of students have already transferred, taken a leave of absence, or halted their educational journeys due to the financial impracticality of Arizona State's insensitive decision. As an acknowledgment of the challenging economic times faced by virtually all families, we as students see this as one of the many ways to help this overwhelming issue for the student body at Arizona State University.