University of Southern California now offers free tuition
Recently, the University of Southern California announced free tuition to admitted students with a family income of $80k and below. This news has gone viral over the past few days and people are starting to wonder if this is just a publicity stunt in regards to their past admissions scandal involving stars like Lori Loughlin of the hit television series Fuller House.
Whether this was to gain back respect from people around the world after their scandal or not, this will undoubtedly raise the admission standards in order to get into the university now. The University of Southern California is one of the most difficult schools at the collegiate level to be accepted into here in the United States, along with one of the most expensive.
Students who need financial aid are already getting assistance with tuition to help pay for their schooling. The costs of room and board, dining plans, etc. are what affect students the most. The University of Southern California is not helping students with their additional expenses, which is what they truly need. Free tuition is a great way to lure applicants in but students are still left to pay anywhere between $15-21k each year.
Hypothetically speaking, how would this affect BSU students if tuition were to become free for those with a family income of $80k and below? For Massachusetts residents attending during this 2019-2020 academic year, tuition and fees amount to $10,732. Without this, commuter students would be left paying roughly $800 for books and $3,544 in miscellaneous costs for transportation and personal expenses.
Meanwhile, resident students would be responsible for the estimated $13,300 room and meal plan along with the $800 charge for books and $2,644 in miscellaneous costs. This is a whopping difference compared to USC’s leftover payments. Would this mean raised admission standards for BSU also? This is something the school would need to take into consideration.
The University of Southern California might have attempted to sway the public eye into believing they are making a comeback from their mistakes without publicly mentioning them. We don’t know if this will work in their favor as most will not forget about Lori Loughlin and the other celebrities involved in scandal early last year.
Though there’s no talk of free tuition at BSU as of right now, who knows if USC’s decision will pave the way for more schools to follow in the tuition-free movement.
