Opinion/Brennan: At RIC— boosters, masks but still online
Emily Brennan, of Westerly, is the vice president of the senior class at Rhode Island College and managing editor of the school's newspaper, The Anchor.
Rhode Island College students are not getting the education they deserve, academically and financially.
A school with small classes, accessibility and relatively affordable tuition, RIC offers students a chance to earn a four-year degree even if they come from low-income families. Rhode Island residents account for 87% of the college's population. Half of Rhode Island College is made up of first-generation students, based on the 2020 FAFSA report.
It is the only school in the state that offers a four-year degree at a reasonable price, saving an in-state student about $5,000 a year compared to attending the University of Rhode Island. Several prominent elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, are RIC graduates.
I chose RIC for those reasons, when transferring in spring 2020. I have not had an in-person class in two years. Many were lucky to have in-person classes for the fall of 2021, but my major, communications, was "moved" predominantly online. I was relieved to see my classes were back on campus for the spring 2022 semester. I am graduating in May. RIC now plans to have remote classes for the first three weeks of the semester for most classes that were scheduled to be in-person.
This may seem like a minor inconvenience to some, but there is a possibility students could lose another semester of face-to-face learning, while our costs increase.
In December 2020, The Providence Journal reported that RIC asked for a 5% tuition increase, about $442 more per student. Two years ago, RIC had increased tuition by 7.5%. When I started in the spring semester of 2020, tuition for the academic year was $4,789. This semester, my tuition bill totals $5,349 — a more than $500 increase.
While nearly half of RIC students are eligible for Pell Grants, half of us do not meet requirements. On paper, my FAFSA looks average. My federal loan is small, and I cannot take out another personal loan. It never covers my entire tuition bill. I work three jobs to cover my other costs. I am being charged for a gym and a library that I cannot use.
The increase in tuition netted the school $1.3 million.
While many of us are still stuck behind computer screens with poor posture and regressing social skills, other students in the state are more fortunate. Brown University, Providence College, Johnson & Wales, University of Rhode Island, Bryant and Salve Regina will still hold in-person lectures while following CDC guidelines and state mandates. Roger Williams University will be holding only syllabus week online. Rhode Island School of Design and the Community College of Rhode Island were the only others to move school back online for three weeks.
As spring semester starts, I grow increasingly concerned that at RIC three weeks online will turn into three months. I fear we will not get the graduation we deserve. We have been required to get COVID booster vaccines and wear masks but are told we are not allowed to return to school. I am concerned RIC students are being robbed of their education and money.
I am losing my ability to socialize and I worry for my financial, professional and personal future. Tuition continues to increase and the amount of resources students have continues to diminish. My biggest fear: Is my RIC degree something employers will value?
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Opinion/Brennan: At RIC— boosters, masks but still online
