We the students of George Washington University School of Nursing are petitioning for reimbursement and compensation for our tuition fees. As future nurses, we understand the state of the pandemic and ever-changing situation that it may be. We understand that due to certain policies and governing by the CDC and public health entities, certain amenities, labs, and technology are not available for our use for our safety and for the public, but we should not be charged for these services. Specifically, the $200 Laboratory and Technology fees included in our tuition. We are not able to use ANY and ALL of these and find it abhorrent to be nickeling and diming students for what they are not able to access. Additionally, cohort 23 was charged $75 for an online orientation we were never able to attend.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, we request compensation and grace for tuition fees. Student debt has become overly normalized, but in no way are we condoning this. Many students have been greatly displaced by the COVID 19 pandemic. Many students were unable to work and lost jobs. Many students were also not given enough notice for the online instruction and still forced to relocated to the area due to stringent leases. With the decision to move to online course delivery, students should not be paying for in-person class instruction. We receive minimal hours of “live” instruction and a lion’s share of this is group work where we are forced to fill in blanks for other students, drag struggling students through the group work, and fight for instructor aid. The majority of instruction comes from prerecorded lectures where students must sit in front of a screen and take notes. As future nurses and leaders of the medical field, we all know nursing is a practical field and although technology is a great and undeniably innovative advancement to education, it does not replace the pragmatic teaching necessary to mold and educate a great nurse.

In the strategic plan for Infrastructure, Governance and Fiscal Accountability GW states “develop and implement standardized and transparent policies and processes to create a culture of accountability” --- We ask GW to create the culture of accountability by hearing its’ students. Until normal classes can resume for full time instruction on campus, we ask for partial compensation for our tuition. This includes Summer 2020 and following semesters, such as Fall 2020 instruction and the developing plan to remain similar to Summer 2020. It is our hope for GW to help us ease some of the financial burden and reduce the normalcy of student debt many of your nursing students are facing in turbulent times.