**** UPDATE: I am sure every student has seen the recent adjustments regarding fee reduction, and I am also sure that most of us will agree that this is a laughable "reduction". A 15% reduction in campus fees still results in a charge of around $1,300 - for a campus we will not be utilizing. We need a clear breakdown of fees to understand where our money is going if the tangible resources will not be available. KEEP SHARING AND KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS! We cannot sit back and allow for this to be the final decision they make. 

Due to COVID-19, Rutgers, like many other universities, has switched to a mainly remote system to mitigate the spread of the virus. However, they are failing to recognize that just because we have a "world class education" does not mean that remote learning is a substitute for in-class learning and other on-campus services. What we pay for as part of our tuition is to be taught by a professor in a class setting where we can actively engage, ask questions, and interact with our peers.  How could the current decision made not impact tuition if we cannot utilize resources to the fullest extent? If there are strains on the university’s ability to pay for expenses, why should students have to pay full price? 

In the breakdown of fees (https://studentabc.rutgers.edu/payments/fees-descriptions  there are clearly certain expenses that won’t be applicable for us. For example, campus fees which include recreation services, student events, concerts, etc will not be applicable this upcoming semester. School fees including library maintenance will also not be utilized to the fullest extent. How will 70,000 students be expected to study in libraries or classrooms if the majority of schooling is already remote? 

Trying to accommodate by providing students with more online services is not nearly the same as the experience we would have in-person. We are not receiving the same learning experience and having access to all the resources we normally would. Just because we still have access to the same professors and the same material does not mean that the overall experience is equivalent to the price of in-person education. Many students have an extra difficult time learning remotely and do not reap any benefits. So why are we still being asked to pay the same amount as if everything is the same?  Our tuition is what funds the school and allows Rutgers to offer us what they do. However, since those resources are not being used to their fullest advantage and capacity, why is Rutgers asking for the full price for services that will not be used in normal or full capacity?

Rutgers University must recognize this disparity and understand that remote education does not deem the same tuition costs as in-person education. Rutgers University must rectify this issue by ordering a tuition cut of some sort to make up for the lack of educational engagement and additional resources that would be received if in-person.

Please join me in signing this petition and let's work together and get some of our money back. 

Use this template to email the Board of Governors: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-6L4h-eixhEF6kKx9O1VuymIOvxKDNqSVB-c4H2duSA/edit

We would like to get the information out as much as possible. News outlets have been contacted, and for further information please email me at shreyadhpatel@gmail.com. Please share this petition everywhere.