Due to the coronavirus, many summer classes are switching to an online format.

For many of us, this is not an ideal method for learning and many students are struggling. And not only that, online classes cost $240 more, which puts even more strain on students’ budgets, since a lot of us are not getting paid during Michigan’s stay-at-home rules. Eastern Michigan University should remove the online fee at least for this summer. The classes that were not originally designed to be online should not cost an extra online fee. The reason for this is as follows:

1. For classes that were not designed to be online, students are expecting better face to face response and help from teachers, or field workers to get more practical hands-on experiences. Switching to an online course in an unwilling choice plus $240 more sounds unfair to most students.
2. Some students are running out of income due to the coronavirus lock-down. For undergraduate students, a lot of us are making our living in the service industry part-time. The coronavirus lock down is hitting these businesses hard and a lot of us are not able to work or just given very limited hours. Not to mention some of us still need to pay for our own rent, food and utilities; $240/course is a heavy extra cost for self-dependent students.
3. Although the university does not require students to take classes in the summer, many of us need to take one or two classes to fulfill prerequisites for some advanced classes. Missing those required classes in the summer can slow down our academic plan for a whole semester. Any relief on our budgeting is highly appreciated. 
4. There are some free resources for online classes. Although some educators prefer to use ZOOM for their online meeting platform, there are some other free ones like google hangouts that can still keep the course running. In some other colleges, like Washtenaw Community College for example, out of state and international students can pay cheaper rates for their online classes. Can it also be an option for out of state and international students since they have less access to apply for community resources or financial aid?