Relevance to Generation Z:
Many college students, who are part of Gen Z, struggle to pay for college as college prices have only continued to increase, and especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, low and middle-income families are struggling more than ever before to get their kids through college.
Columbia University, located in Harlem, New York City, New York, is one of the most expensive private universities in the country, with a current tuition and fees cost of $64,000 per year. Thousands of Columbia families, alumni, and even faculty have signed a petition started by Columbia-Barnard’s YDSA (Young Democratic-Socialists of America) chapter to support a tuition strike for the 2021 spring trimester. The demands of this petition include “a 10% reduction in the cost of attendance, a 10% increase in student’s financial aid, and the providing of education, employment, and affordable housing to the larger West Harlem community.”
Students at Columbia are not the first to fight for tuition reductions. Since COVID-19 erupted back in March, students at schools such as The New School and Chapman University have fought for tuition reductions or partial reimbursements. At Columbia, while much of this tuition strike is about highlighting the financial struggles the pandemic has caused, it is also about supporting the West Harlem Community.
The first payment for Columbia’s spring semester is due January 22nd, two days after Biden’s inauguration. Many people are pushing the president-elect to reduce the cost of college and provide financial relief or support to students across the country who have been financially impacted by COVID-19.
- Casey Winslow
Source: Teen Vogue
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