GU Students Petition for Reduced Tuition
By July 6, 2020 0 1925
•Nearly 1,000 Georgetown University students and others affiliated with the school have signed a petition calling for reduced tuition this coming fall. The petition, with more than 800 names, also demands an extension of the deferral deadline for fall semester enrollment, reported GU student newspaper the Hoya.
The petition arrives on the heels of the COVID-19 crisis, which has made many schools’ fall plans uncertain. As reported last week, Georgetown has yet to announce any official plans for reopening its extensive campus. Three of the four plans being discussed would have brought at least some students back to campus, but those plans have since been scrapped.
Earlier this year, GU officials announced a 3.5-percent tuition increase for undergraduates, which would make the cost nearly $30,000 per semester. The petition took note of this, saying that the quality of the education that students will receive will be significantly less than that offered during a normal semester.
By way of comparison, nearby George Washington University is planning to welcome students back to campus. However, in-person fall classes will begin Aug. 31, end when students go home for Thanksgiving and continue on a virtual basis until the winter break. GW is hoping this will lessen the possibility of students returning after the Thanksgiving holiday with COVID-19. Classes will also be held on Labor Day, Sept. 7.
GW’s 33-page report, which also specifies mandatory face mask wearing and social distancing while in public areas, was submitted to D.C. government earlier this month.