Students all around the world have been struggling with universities taking advantage of their wallets for quite some time.
It is only recently, the students of DCU have spoken up for themselves in the hopes to be heard and make a difference for all future student planning to attend DCU.
Their argument, one that is on the minds of many…what is up with these price hikes?
Every year student residents have been noting dramatic increases in the cost of accommodations for the academic year.
With the most recent price hike bringing the total cost to 10,000 euro. That, being, nearly triple the cost of attendance!
One of the most prominent arguments to this petition is the stresses that are already felt by the students in their regular responsibilities within the classroom.
Some price jumps are reported to be up from 29% the regular prices. A hike that is difficult to cope with and may defer some students from choosing to attend and further their education at all.
In many cases, the costs are outweighing the benefits and with prices to continually increase, it is expected there will be a decrease in student enrollment for the upcoming terms.
The price hikes are beginning to infuriate students and it is because of this they are beginning to do something about the unfair treatment they have been forced to deal with.
In a petition written by DCU’s student union in which was created after an open letter was written to student accommodation owners asking them to stop with the pricing hikes, student turn to the public for support and signatures to start a movement.
A movement that will hopefully put a stop to the unfair treatment felt by students and their family as the economic burden of securing student housing at increasingly high costs is something that is becoming less and less feasible.
If a responsibility is not enforced upon the student accommodation owners to make a change and put their tenant’s needs into further consideration, a sharp decline in enrollment of universities will also be seen.
The good news on this topic is that this petition had already retrieved over 8,000 signatures in less than a day of being published.
And the numbers are on the rise, as an online petition, there is a strong public presence on various platforms to reach many people who may otherwise not go out of their way to sign.
Student’s being taken advantage of is a growing issue and becoming extremely angering to the student of DCU who have been feeling the burden of acts like this being imposed on them. Students are already put under a great deal of stress while in school as the strong pressures to maintain grades, earn a livable wage, and become involved with the school and the community is felt.
There are high criteria for a student looking to make the most and get the most from their college experience. And the more price increases they get hit with, the more academic privilege that will be taken away.
It is the hopes of many that this petition will create a sweeping movement and affect more than the DCU community. A precedent has been set, and it is time that students begin to do something about these unfair, and unrealistic pricing hikes.