COLUMN: Make sacrifice to go to school

Editor,

Every year it’s the same thing. The university voices its plans to increase tuition and fees, the students vocalize their complaints and the university goes ahead and increases tuition despite the opposition. Every year students complain about classes filling up, the QUAD being inadequate for the amount of traffic during class registration and classes being taught by grad students who are difficult to understand. In short, people complain about the cost and the quality of our university. I, too, wish to complain, but not about the quality or cost of the university but about the complaining students ignorant of simple principles of economics.

One fundamental principle of economics is the principle of trade-offs. While cost and quality are certainly two important aspects of any university what has failed to be recognized is the inherent trade off between the two. Students want better computer system for registration, better teachers and more teachers but do not want to pay for any of it. I don’t know about you, but I have never received Cadillac quality at Chevy prices. so why is it one should expect such from the university? At present, the university is experiencing problems of overconsumption and the simple solution is to raise prices.

One might argue that cost is more important than quality, but this is simply not true for every student here because if cost was more important than quality we would all be attending Weber State University, Salt Lake Community College or Dixie College. Quality is important, which is why we are all here. Without tuition increases, the quality of this university will certainly suffer.

Education is extremely important and we should not be surprised when its price tag reflects that. My father financed medical school by enlisting in the army during Vietnam. My older bother is financing dental school at Boston University ($30,000+ tuition and fees) through a Navy scholarship which requires four years of service. If education quality is truly important one will be willing to make the sacrifices necessary.

Jared Wolfe