Covid-19 has affected every one of us in ways that we may never have thought possible. Being secluded from friends, being forced out of school and work, and not knowing what may happen has taken its toll on all of us. This is ever more so evident in the financial aspects of many of our lives. Even though many of us have been out of work due to the pandemic since the early part of the year, we have still been working hard in our studies to graduate in four to five years to put ourselves in the best possible position to begin our professional careers. However, heavy student loans have historically been the biggest obstacle to this, and the financial implications of this pandemic only add to the burden of college students preparing to graduate. It is because of this that we ask Appalachian State to lower tuition for the 2020-21 academic year. 

When the pandemic began earlier this year in March, it took us all by surprise. However, the mountaineer family rallied together, and within two weeks was able to move out of campus and transition to fully online learning for the rest of the semester. Many of us thought that if we could get through the semester and maybe the summer things would return to normal. Those of us lucky enough to save up a bit of money in an emergency fund were able to live off that for a time, and students with meal plans and on-campus housing were given partial refunds for the semester. However, with the fall semester approaching, the full burden of another year of tuition after not working for up to six months is beginning to hit home. Admittedly, the school has made some efforts to assist students in the form of the CARES Act and Mountaineer Emergency Fund. However, these were limited funds and only intended to assist students' immediate financial needs, not to help with the upcoming year. We ask that Appalachian State University take a larger step to help their students through this time in the form of reducing tuition for the 202-21 academic year. 

In addition to the economic burdens resulting from the pandemic, students are not receiving the same product as was to be expected from a four-year institution. In a letter to the student body on March 20, Chancellor Everts stated "while we are fortunate to have technology to keep us connected, Zoom meetings and Panopto just aren’t the same." With the decision to return to in-person learning being made at the school and state level, many students feel cheated out of what they are paying for. UNC Board of Governors member Marty Kotis "argued that students get an “inferior experience” if they have to take online classes via Zoom." according to the NewsObserver. “If we have to shift back, we’re almost overcharging them with tuition,” Kotis said. “Adding fees on top of that is adding insult to injury.” " Undergraduate students are still being charged over $1k in fees for the fall semester alone, in the form of General Undergraduate Fees, ASG Fees and Health Service Access Charges. The lack of transparency in what some of these fees actually go towards, and whether students will be allowed the same access to facilities such as gyms and computer labs add unnecessary stress to the average student's life. "Isaiah Green, president of UNC-Asheville’s student body and the president of the UNC System’s Association of Student Governments, said students shouldn’t have to pay the same tuition if all of their classes are online or if campuses move online this semester. “It’s just not fair to them or their families for the ... unequal quality of their education that they hadn’t signed up for in the beginning,” " (NewsObserver).

As students at Appalachian State University, we want to see the school lead the way in helping its students in every way possible. As Chancellor Everts stated, "We have and will continue to adapt for the pandemic”. Therefore, we ask that the next step Appalachain State is to take is reducing tuition for the upcoming year. We have done our part; wearing our masks, washing our hands, socially distancing even when it's hard, and staying home when we feel sick. We now ask those leading Appalachian State University to do their part and help us. Roll 'Neers!