USC will raise tuition for the 2020-21 school year by 3.5%, despite being (almost completely) online for the Fall. Undergraduate tuition for the coming year will be set at $59,260 -- an increase of $2,004, according to the Annenberg Media report. 

Not only has USC raised tuition, but they have substantially cut student’s financial aid packages. In the midst of a global pandemic, the economic pressures placed on many families has made it more difficult to pay for college. USC’s tuition hike is not only tone deaf, but cruel. How does USC expect students to pay higher costs for a lower quality education with less aid? The assumption that staying home means students are able to afford a more expensive education is wrong and unfair. 

Because of the unjust decisions that USC has made, many students may not even be able to attend USC’s remote learning experience. This decision has neglected the needs of the students and shows what little consideration USC gives to it’s students who are not privileged enough to pay $60,000 a year. 

If USC can not provide fair circumstances for all students to attend, then they should place the school year on hold.