Due to COVID-19, students’ living situations have constantly been changing. Flights have significantly reduced and the ones that remain are significantly more expensive, making it impossible for a lot of students to make it back to their homes. The students who remain on-campus are primarily students who have no other option, either because of their family/living situation or because they cannot make it back to their home countries.

Starting May 7th, Syracuse University is requiring all students to pay $233/week for housing if they remain on campus. Again, most students who are still on campus have no other choice. This financial requirement is entirely unreasonable. Most international students are paying closer to full tuition compared to domestic students. While the University is requiring this weekly payment from students who remain on campus, there's an advanced deposit requirement due on June 1st they must pay to secure their spot to a university they already attend.

Syracuse University may be losing money, as a lot of institutions are right now, but that doesn't mean the University can put the financial burden on students who have nowhere else to go. In terms of the school’s financial situation, SU has a billion-dollar endowment, and was also given a $9.9 million federal stimulus package, and at least half of that money is required to go towards emergency grants to help students with expenses. A portion of this half can be used to pay for the housing payments of students who will remain on campus.

For students who need to stay on-campus for the summer, the University should entirely eliminate the weekly housing payment requirement. These students already paid Spring tuition for facilities that weren’t being provided (activity fees, co-curricular fees) and they are being forced to pay even more. The University also needs to consider the reduction of jobs, including on-campus jobs that allowed students to financially sustain themselves. As times are changing, the University needs to take into account the mental healths of students trapped on campus with little to no facilities open. A lot has changed for these students and these financial requirements are not alleviating any stress.