Edinboro’s newest rival, Excelsior
By Hannah McDonald
In the U.S. if one is asked to sit down and think about what it’s like to go to college, there are a few common ideas that come to mind. These can be nightmarish communal bathrooms, long, blurry nights out or endless hours spent in the library. Each of these are still a common part of college today but more than each those, the idea of mountainous debt is tied to acquiring one’s degree.
Astronomically high university price tags have become the norm in the U.S. It has not always been this way but for many, it seemed the way it would always continue to be. Luckily for New York state residents, this is not the case.
Last week, The Empire State became the largest state to offer free tuition at both community colleges and four-year schools in the SUNY system to residents. Any New Yorker who makes below the qualifying income level and is accepted to one of the state schools is eligible for the new Excelsior Scholarship.
The Excelsior Scholarship covers tuition but not room, board or other personal expenses. It is these uncovered costs that rack up the price of college. Qualified individuals will still have to work to cover those costs with personal income or loans.
Here, another catch is presented. To cover these costs, many students are required to work during college and take a less heavy course load in order to maintain balance. Under Excelsior, a student must take at least 30 credit hours per year.
Across the country this New York state scholarship is guaranteed to change the face of higher education. Previously, a number of other states offered similar programs — like Tennessee, Oregon and Georgia — but the majority of those were limited to community colleges.
New York has raised the bar for state programs like this so it is likely that in the near future, they will expand to include four-year colleges as well as community colleges.
Schools that choose not to implement programs following suit of SUNY schools will have no option but to price more competitively. Pricey private schools may have to lower their pay walls or experiment with larger personal scholarship awards to keep up with the affordable college trend taking over the nation.
For New Yorkers attending school out-of-state the draw to move home is sure to increase. Any smart young adult will choose — if not at least seriously consider — transferring to save tens of thousands of dollars on her or his education. This can effect the attendance rates of other state schools along with private universities.
At Edinboro University, which is just over 39 miles from the New York state line, the stakes could be very high. Within 130 miles of Edinboro, there are four SUNY schools that will offer the Excelsior Scholarship beginning in Fall 2017. This is quite impressive since Edinboro is already nearly 40 miles from New York state.
It is not uncommon to find a Fighting Scot who’s home is in the Knickerbocker State. Many come across the line for sports and academic programs. According to the 2016 Edinboro fact sheet, a total of 16.1 percent of all 6,181 enrolled students were from a state other than Pennsylvania.
Tuition at Edinboro was already more expensive than average tuition at SUNY schools (for both in and out of state students), but the difference was not impossible for New Yorkers choosing to attend.
Fredonia State University of New York, the closest four-year SUNY school, boasts a tuition bill of $6,470 for in-state students and $10,870 for out-of-state according to their website. Comparatively, a Pennsylvania resident can expect to pay about $9,984 in tuition annually to attend EU while New Yorkers can expect a cost of $10,640.
This difference is not unreasonably large — the point of increased out-of-state tuition is to inspire students to go to school in their home state, anyways — but with the creation of Excelsior, it is large enough to convince a Scot to transfer to a SUNY school if they qualify and are a New York resident.
I know this to be true because I am in that position and know many others who are as well. It has been a very short time since the announcement of this tuition voucher, but already whispers and chats of New York native Edinboro students can be heard discussing if they will return home to reap the benefits of this affordable change.
Should one stay and continue to pay for out-of-state tuition, housing and food or should one transfer into their home state and cut the costs? It seems like a simple choice for many who qualify for the scholarship.
For me, it is a more difficult choice. At Edinboro, I love my program. There are so many people I have met that have made my time here a blast and with their help, I’ve learned more than I can explain.
My personal affection for Edinboro aside, if I were to choose transferring and cost-cutting, I would have to change my academic path. Within those 130 miles, there are no SUNY schools that offer a journalism program like that of Edinboro.
These factors make up my mind and for my undergraduate degree at least, I will remain an out-of-state student at Edinboro. I do not have much reason to think more about transferring but it is clear that as programs like Excelsior develop, many students in my position will have a hard choice to make as they pay their tuition bills and register for next semester’s courses.
How many students will return to New York’s school system? What will this do to the future of Edinboro and its student body? Only time will tell.
