There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted many areas of life. For colleges and universities, the containment measures instituted by governments, such as social distancing that has led to home quarantine, have led to closures. As a result, many learning institutions have lost revenue that many people worry could lead to higher tuition fees once the school calendar resumes some normalcy. Given that the pandemic has also affected people’s jobs, colleges and universities should consider freezing tuition fees and even giving students discounts on account of the pandemic.

Tuition Before COVID-19

The rising cost of education was a problematic issue for many even before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic in early 2020. A study indicated an unprecedented rise in the average cost of tuition fees at both private and public schools. The study showed that, between the periods 1971-72 and 2019-2020, tuition in many colleges and universities had more than tripled. For example, a four-year education at a public university cost about $2,710 in 1971-72, which rose to $7,730 in 2019-20.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Cost of Education

Besides disrupting the regular running of the school calendar, the Coronavirus pandemic has cost learning institutions lost revenue since they have had to make partial tuition refunds and maintain empty boarding facilities. Evidence indicates that the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education that oversees 14 universities will incur costs related to lost revenue because of the pandemic in the range of $100 million. While some colleges and universities have large endowments to cover these losses, most educational institutions do not have them.

Rising Student Debt

One of the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it will subject a majority of colleges and universities to a situation where they have to apply for student loans to cater for any increase in tuition fees. In this case, many learning institutions that do not benefit from large endowments will increase tuition as a last resort to remain afloat. However, understanding that the pandemic has affected everyone financially, colleges and universities should consider other means of recovering lost revenue instead of increasing tuition fees.

Tutoring and Writing Centers

When colleges and universities closed and sent students home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the online platform became an effective tool in the learning process. Today, many of these institutions have set up tutoring and writing centers, which allow graduate students and other professionals to tutor students in need of assistance in specific areas. In turn, people can use legit writing services offered by Wr1ter.com if they need to review their schedules. Therefore, instead of raising tuition fees, colleges and universities can utilize online tutoring services, reducing costs related to physical learning.

In summary, COVID-19 has disrupted life in significant ways, including making many colleges and universities lose revenue. While it is understandable why these learning institutions may want to increase tuition fees to recover the lost revenue, they must consider the pandemic has affected everyone. Therefore, instead of increasing tuition, educational institutions should offer students COVID-19 discounts and consider appropriating online tutoring and writing centers to reduce the costs related to physical learning.