Mirror News Columnist

I’m not sure why, but this semester seems especially stressful. I had to apply for financial aid for the first time this year, and they weren’t kidding when they said it was a pain. And to top it all off, it’s taking forever to come through.

Yet, the real kicker was when I heard that when I register for classes online, I’m charged a $35 registration fee for each semester. As if we’re not paying enough already.

Imagine that you sign up for classes online. You’ve got everything you want in order, and you’re happy with your choices. However, the second you hit that “SUBMIT” button, each time you register it’s an extra $35, which a lot of us don’t have. And if you decided to do EZ-Pay, that’s another $25 just for using the program.

I mean, a registration fee? Really?

We are already paying $130 per credit hour! And yes, I’m aware that this is a less expensive way to get a good education, but how is that at all fair? According to Diane Green, Associate Dean of Counseling, “Other fees include the Infrastructure Fee, Technology Fee, and Service Fee.” However, she went on to say that your total will not include the Course/Lab Fee, because that depends on which courses you decided to take, and that can range from $20 to somewhere in the hundreds of dollars.

In today’s economy, who has the money for these tiny extra fees? I know that I don’t. You would think that this world would want to educate this generation for the sake of knowledge, when really it seems that all they can see are dollar signs on each kid who is signing up for classes. I know that we should pay for higher education. I get that, because I know that teachers spend time here and books have to be bought, both of which help us learn.

But when did it stop being a college and start becoming a money factory?

Have a question or comment for Lauren? Contact her at lnwynn@hfcc.edu