I’m writing to call your and the campus’s attention to an issue I feel does not get the attention it deserves. For years now, Gusties have paid surcharges for rooms in Southwest, College View, Arbor View, Uhler and the International Center. Essentially surcharges apply to rooms in any configuration of housing which is more than two students. These surcharges are unfairly applied to rooms that students cannot help but live in. There is not enough room on campus to house every student. Let alone enough room to give every student the option to live in a surcharge free room. Granted, the surcharge applies to rooms based on the additional conveniences that each offers. However, given that there are not enough options to allow every student to live in a surcharge-free room, these surcharges effectively amount to an increase in the housing fees. I personally feel this is an underhanded way of increasing the college’s revenue. It is disingenuous to tell students they will be paying one price for housing and to, by applying surcharges, actually charge students another.

If the College cannot survive without these funds, I would rather they raise housing fees across the board to make up for the loss, instead of hiding them in surcharges.

Jacob Lundborg ‘11