As a student, I am a member of countless university Facebook pages, some of which are used for students to make anonymous comments and complaints about the university. One complaint seems to be consistent amongst students: tuition costs.
Financial stress is considered one of the highest stressors for university aged students, according to Ohio University's study on financial therapy. Canadian student loan debt is increasing with every year. A report by the Canadian government revealed that in 2012-2013, the CSLP provided nearly $2.6 billion in loans to more than 472,000 full-time post-secondary students – an increase of approximately six per cent in the number who received loans in 2011-2012. In the United States, as of 2016, student loan debt reached a record breaking $1.3 trillion.
Why has post-secondary education become so unaffordable to the majority of North Americans? Competition.
The Ivy League schools of the United States set a standard for universities across North America. While the standard of education was once the focus, in the last few decades it is the amenities a school can offer that makes them most attractive to prospective students. In the competition in ranking, and in student size, universities have added countless extra amenities that have now become commonplace: rock walls, fitness centres, swimming pools, lavish student housing and student lounges.
While these additions are enjoyable, (I admittedly use and enjoy my school's amenities) they are – more than anything – extremely costly. Part of every student's tuition includes fees to access the fitness centre and rock wall.
Competition amongst universities is logical, but ultimately, I believe more of a focus is placed on the competitive nature of a school than the quality of education.
Part of a school's competitive appeal is due to the school's research credibility. Professors are rewarded for their research feats through promotions and receiving tenure status. While research is imperative to new discoveries, a professor's ability to perform research is not related to their ability to teach. Therefore, very intelligent professors, who are qualified in their fields, are chosen to teach – and while this sounds ideal – their intelligence cannot always be transferred into the ability to teach on a basic level.
The success of a course, and its professor, are ultimately determined by student surveys at the end of the semester. However, students tend to rank classes in terms of the level of difficulty: the easier the class, the higher the overall ranking.
Ultimately, students and their families are paying ever-growing tuition fees in order to upkeep a school's competitive nature, rather than its quality of education. This is extremely damaging to the overall economy, as student loans reach higher levels with every passing year. The North American post secondary education system has been growing this way for some time now, and I can only hope that with the end of my degree, I will be able to say my school is highly ranked because of the quality of education I received, rather than the amenities my school offers.
Jennifer Hamilton is a St. Albert student and writer. Her column first appeared in the St. Albert Gazette on May 14.
