The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate on April 15 passed a resolution (15?7?1) supporting a financial assistance program and fee waiver for student parking passes as a way to address the high cost of the passes.
The resolution states that $550 for a full?year overnight student parking pass is a significant financial burden for many students who need a car on campus because of distance from home or a significant commute length to work?study jobs.
The resolution was submitted by Gavin Matthews and TCU Associate Treasurer Ard Ardalan, both juniors.
Matthews said his personal situation motivated the creation of the resolution. Although he receives assistance from the financial aid office, Matthews needs to work in order to cover the cost of going to Tufts and needs a car for transportation for certain obligations, but he could not afford the student parking pass.
"While my case is uncommon, I was required to have a car," he said. "Having a car is not necessarily a privilege. At a certain point, the car stops being a privilege and becomes almost a burden."
The final resolution supported the enactment of a fee waiver program through the Department of Public Safety rather than through the financial aid office.
Going through the financial aid program would require setting aside money for financial assistance whereas public safety would only have to waive the fee, Ardalan explained.
"In this way, it would be much more efficient," he said.
Owning a car does not necessarily reflect a higher socio?economic status, Ardalan said.
"Students should shy away from the idea that students with a car do not need financial assistance," he said.
According to Ardalan, situations like Matthews' need to be corrected.
"It does not make sense that a student has to pay money in order to make money," he said.
Other Senate members did not support the resolution because they believed it unfairly biases students who live closer to campus.
"I don't like the idea of financial aid going to specific groups of people based on their geographical location," Freshman Senator Jessie Serrino, who voted against the resolution, said.
Serrino said the administration should focus on financial aid packages and lowering tuition for the entire student body instead of specific case?by?case assistance programs. She is worried that the program, if enacted, would only affect the small group of students who have a car on campus.
"If you have a whole bunch of programs helping few people, you get big costs for everyone," she said.
According to Senior Senator Jonathan Danzig, who voted against the resolution, the resolution distracts from the greater issue about high tuition costs and if enacted would only affect an arbitrary group of people.
"The proposal is neither workable, effective nor equitable," Danzig said.
This view was reflected in a resolution calling for the administration to lower tuition costs for the entire student body that the Senate passed almost unanimously (25?1?0) on March 4.
TCU Treasurer Christie Maciejewski, who voted in favor of the resolution concerning parking permits, said she supports it because it helps a small group of students who are in need of financial assistance.
"This program would be extremely beneficial for few students without being a huge burden on the administration," Maciejewski, a sophomore, said.
