Published: December 10, 2009

It’s mid-December in the midst of tough economic times, and more than ever, money is on everyone’s mind. Whether it’s wondering how we’ll scrape up enough to buy a significant other something shiny and new, how to get a discount on that new toaster Mom’s been needing or how to make something thoughtful and free for everyone else, the holiday season has most of us digging deep in our pockets—generally to find nothing but lint.

Of course, students aren’t the only ones with budgeting on the brain. As reported in Kathryn Feeney’s article, “Fordham Joins $50,000 Club” on page 1, for the first time ever, Fordham has ascended to the elite—and more importantly, expensive—rankings of the $50,000 Club, the group of 57 universities that charge students over $50,000 a year. However, even with tuition at an all-time high, Fordham seems to be under some financial duress. The Quinn Library hours have been diminished and student organizations are finding it more difficult to obtain funding for events.

Some students have voiced concerns that they’re not seeing enough improvements in their experiences at Fordham to justify their increased bills. Like William Birgé in his op-ed piece, “Fordham and the $50K Club: Where’s the Money?” on page 7, students have been frustrated to see frivolously pricey items like flatscreen TVs in the cafeteria, while more important priorities like the library hours have borne the brunt of the university’s financial stresses.

Whether Fordham is spending irresponsibly or not, the fact that students are concerned is worrisome in itself. An economic recession is perhaps the worst time for a university to breed fiscal suspicion amongst its students, a demographic that is typically distinguished by its “broke-ness.” If we’re going to shell out an extra few thousand each year, we’d like to see some improvements in return. And if we don’t, we’d at least like to know why.

The Jesuits are renowned for their incredible work with charity; we’ve all had the mantra “men and women for others” stuck in our heads since we arrived at Fordham. So where is the university’s Catholic generosity when it comes to the students? Though we’re lucky to be financially stable enough to attend this university at all, a lot of us are struggling under its costs.  If it’s not possible for us to see results in return for our rising bills, at the very least, Fordham’s New Year’s resolution should be greater transparency.

Fordham, just take a hard look at your students. Most of us are good kids, just trying to get a great education and still be able to splurge our depleted holiday funds on a festive Fordham coffee mug for Dad. We know what it’s like to live on a less-than-desirable budget. We understand if our school has to do it too, sometimes. Just let us know where the money’s going because, after all, it’s our millions of pennies you’re pinching.