I am a Virginia resident. I came to the University of Wyoming after my older sister spent three years here and loved it. My aunt has lived out here for years and my uncle works at the university. My grandma was born in a tiny town in Colorado years ago. Overall, it was just a matter of time when I would at least come to visit the mid-west.
One bonus to Wyoming, besides the gorgeous mountains and many outdoor activities, was the cheapness of the university. It is cheaper for me to attend the University of Wyoming with out of state tuition than to attend a Virginia university with instate tuition.
Wyoming tuition, though, is gradually increasing. CARES Act money is not being provided. The university is mostly online and lacks the number of events and resources for students like it has in the past.
One would think that in a time like this, where so much is not offered and students are financially struggling, the university would at least not raise the tuition. It seems very inconsiderate for the university to do this.
Furthermore, the university is forcing us to have online classes because of COVID but they don’t take into consideration that a lot of students don’t take online classes, not just because they learn better in person, but because of the financial impact that online classes have.
I am currently taking two classes that are in person for the short time campus is open. After the short spring break those classes will be online. I have three other classes online, since they were not offered in person, and the financial burden for those three classes is almost double what it is for my in-person classes.
My in-person classes are both photography classes in the Visual Arts building. My online classes are all within the Communications and Journalism (COJO) department and do not require resources like the photography classes do.
For one, my online classes do not require a university building. My online classes do not require Wi-Fi from the university. In fact, I pay for my Wi-Fi that I now use 24/7 because my classes are online. My online classes do not require university restrooms to be available. I pay for my own restroom and my own toilet paper. My online classes do not require anything of the university except for the professor and their time.
Why then are online classes so expensive? Why has the university not been kind enough to reduce the prices of online classes during this difficult time? Why would the university not skip a year in raising tuition, again, because of this difficult time?
Nothing here makes sense and it all seems rude and inconsiderate of the students who are stuck and struggling.
