Tuition raise standard

With college tuition increases traditionally outpacing the inflation rate, next year's five percent undergraduate price tag hike should come as a shock to no one. The rapid expansion of technology services and campus construction and renovations, among other areas, provides upward pressure on tuition costs.

But while the tuition raise may be typical, the faltering economy is making it harder for many families to pay the nearly $40,000 required for a year at Tufts. It appears that the University has this concern in mind when they raised the financial aid budget nearly 13 percent from last year (Federal Pell Grant limits were raised as well), but this money will still not make paying for one of the country's most expensive schools easy.

Perhaps most unfortunately, Tufts is moving ahead with its plan to "nickel-and-dime" students for printing at the main campus libraries and computer lab instead of incorporating the costs in the tuition increase. It's not as extreme as nearby Boston University, where students next year will be paying a $150 fee to access the internet from their dorm rooms, but the trend is clear.

While it may appeal to some sense of fairness to charge people based on their usage, the new policy will encourage many to turn to department offices, engineering labs, and other sources to continue printing for free. Also, the concept of charging fees based on usage can get complex very quickly -- consider those who take larger course loads, live in nicer dorm rooms, or receive more packages through Mail Services.

But in any case, Tufts' tuition, while high, does not appear to be increasing at an alarming rate. Let's just hope that four years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in the future, we can look back and feel that we got what we paid for.