College is expensive.
Student loans and debt are a major concern for many students. Raleigh is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, reaching an estimated $2,467 a month per person without considering costs of college tuition.
While NC State does not plan to offer the same tuition assistance that UNC-Chapel Hill recently announced, the University does provide assistance that may alleviate financial strain on students in other ways.
Nonetheless, I have noticed serious issues with the communication regarding these opportunities and management of student expenses.
I was surprised to learn this semester, after having been on campus for four years, that many of the resources NC State provides its students are free.
We currently have 37,873 students attending our university and 10,678 beds for housing on-campus. Over 200 of these spots are reserved for RAs, and there are rooms across 16 halls reserved for members of NC State’s 15 Living and Learning Villages.
With this in mind, upperclassmen may not be able to stay on campus due to campus capacity, and the related costs of parking passes, gas and car maintenance are not expenses to overlook.
The free Park and Ride services available to assist with off-campus parking are an incredible way for students to avoid expensive parking passes.
“I was unaware of the free park and ride options,” said Nikki Reznik, a spring 2023 graduate. “I think NC State should make a more mindful effort to advertise these services.”
Our tuition also covers prepaid student legal services. If you get screwed over by an off-campus lease, need legal representation for traffic violations, are seeking general legal advice or more, you can reach out via phone or confidential email.
NC State’s on-campus pharmacy often charges less for medications than off-campus pharmacies — something I have discovered through personal experience. This benefits students who spend on medications, but unless there is direct communication about the differences, students may overpay on these items.
“I know far too many people who pay very high out-of-pocket premiums for their prescriptions at pharmacies outside of NC State, and I know it would or could be a game changer for them to purchase their medications at a lower cost and with the convenience of the campus pharmacy,” Reznik said.
These communications extend beyond the resources directly offered on our campus that may benefit our students. For example, UNC-Chapel Hill offers free dental appointments by its dentistry students.
It’s also important to more frequently reiterate the free counseling support structures we have in place to our campus population.
NC State students have access to 12 mental health counseling sessions and career counseling through the Career Development Center. Each of these can be important in maintaining mental health, reducing stress and maintaining emotional and physical wellness — all without spending a dime.
Noah Kellar, a third-year studying engineering, said he wasn’t aware that free counseling resources were available for students with external insurance plans. As a result, he never thought the services were an option for him.
Direct funding options for students are available in some situations. For example, the Student Emergency Fund applies to a range of unforeseen financial stressors and can cover up to $500 of unexpected expenses. The Pack Essentials site is full of resources for student support.
That being said, how does our campus reach its student body with this information?
Email isn’t always the best route, as an overwhelming amount of department emails or student groups may lead to emails getting ignored or treated like spam.
However, use of social media can improve communication significantly. There is verification for NC State student groups using Snapchat and Discord, and students who frequently use these apps may be reached more easily through these platforms.
Another method is to incorporate information directly within platforms that students use every day. Nearly every course on campus uses Moodle.
Some professors do include resource links within their course syllabus. However, these standardized structures are not engaging, and there is rarely an effort to emphasize these opportunities.
If NC State could integrate standard resource links for students directly within Moodle footers or sidebars, students would be more likely to see and interact with them. The template the University provides to professors could include these updates.
The range of expenses contributing to student debt make it clear that communication is vital for our students to use the resources available to them. Moving forward, the University should make an active effort to better communicate the resources it provides to the student body.
