Tuition Increase at Sweet Briar College

It is a Tuesday afternoon and the sun is shining at Sweet Briar College. Students are lying out on the dell, music is playing, birds are chirping and the campus looks absolutely gorgeous. The nice breeze and the serenity of our surroundings is what make the college so peaceful. As students are trying to enjoy the beautiful weekend and getting ready for exam week, there is one thing that is in the back of many students’ minds: the increase of tuition next year. They question why the tuition has increased, how much they are going to benefit from the increase and how they are going to get help paying tuition. To the students of Sweet Briar College, this is a big issue and they deserve to know exactly why they are paying $40,000 each year.

Sweet Briar College is one of the very few private women’s colleges in the country. Founded in 1901, Sweet Briar was originally the home of Indiana Fletcher Williams She ended up leaving her entire estate to our institution in memory of her only daughter, Daisy, who died at the age of 16 in 1884. Since then, Sweet Briar traditions and many aspects of the college have been focused around Daisy and her family. The Fletcher family wanted Sweet Briar to stay an all women’s college and this is why after much consideration to change it to a coed school, it has stayed as an all women’s college. “We are committed to helping young women like you reach your full potential both inside the classroom, and outside where it really counts.” (Sweet Briar website) This is Sweet Briar’s message to all women currently enrolled at the college and those who may attend in the future. Since Sweet Briar truly listens to its students and want their students to succeed, this is why we pay as much as we done to attend this institution.

At of the beginning of this year, the cost to attend Sweet Briar College was $37,115 for tuition and room and board and an additional $1, 850 for all personal items like books and supplies. Starting the school year in 2009, Sweet Briar’s tuition will now be $40,000. This tuition increase was announced in February during the faculty and staff’s winter meeting. Some students might consider this as a huge difference in tuition and may not understand why the tuition made a sudden increase, which is a reasonable statement. However, what the Sweet Briars students might not realize is that tuition goes up in small increments every year, this year it was raised a little more than pervious years because of the new additions to the college campus and the fact that we needed to met our standards with the other private schools around us.
The first question that has been brought up by many is the general statement of why the tuition increased. The reasoning behind this is the fact that the campus is going to have added programs, it is important for the college to look at the surroundings market, and the college tuition increases every year. Yes, the tuition has increased more than it has in the past, but it is all for a purpose, which is too be able to pay for everything Sweet Briar has made available for its students.
According to Dean Green “One of the reasons why the tuition has increased is because Sweet Briar is offering many new facilities and benefits for the students next year. The students are going to have the following available to them: a new fitness center, the green village, a brand new campus wireless network and free laundry.” All of these things are going to cost Sweet Briar money so “ the tuition makes up for part of the new facilities market value” stated Dean Green.
When talking with a few students at lunch, the topic of the tuition increase was brought up because we were discussing the new gymnasium. While talking to sophomore, Lacie Normandy, she said that ‘it is unfortunate tuition is going up when I don't really understand why it's so high in the first place. I understand that its private college very accredited and has small classes but I think we can get a great education other places that do not cost $40,000 a year.” As we continued the discussion I asked if she thought Sweet Briar was worth the amount of money we pay to attend here. She went along to say that she was “not familiar with grounds upkeep, the school's monthly water and electric bills, our resources, teacher and staff pay, however, there are so many great things that we have access to and also do not see so it's hard to gauge how much it's really worth. With this said $40,000 dollars a year just seems a little steep”
Lacie’s comment referring to paying $40,000 a year is a little expensive, brings an interesting point to the table. During my interview with Dean Green many things were discussed including the idea of the tuition for next year being steep. This brings us to our next reason why the tuition needs to be increased. In figuring out how much to charge students to attend Sweet Briar College next year, the staff considered the college’s tuition surrounding the area. Dean Green mentioned that “We need to look at the market around us. We need to figure out if we are being unfair to peers as to whether the tuition is too high. Sweet Briar College is right in the middle in regards to tuition. We have been below for the past years because we have been more cautious about our tuition.” To some students this might be an understatement but after talking with Dean Green my reasoning for the tuition increase had changed. If one thinks about the private colleges around our area, we have Hollins University, Randolph Macon and Hampden Sydney. According to the Hollins University website their current tuition charge is $38, 155 a year. Randolph Macon Women’s College tuition is $38, 145 dollars and Hampden Sydney College is $39,000. Sweet Briar’s tuition is right around the same number as the other private colleges around the area.
An interesting point Dean Green had brought up is the fact that he lives in New England, Massachusetts, and the tuition for a private colleges in his area is about $10,000 more expensive than most Virginia schools. “Virginia has a bargain compared to the colleges in New England” stated Green.

As I was talking to a few other students at school, they explained to me their concerns for the tuition. From what I was hearing many people can still afford attending Sweet Briar, while others are still struggling with the idea of the increased tuition. Sophomore Nell Malbon stated that, ‘yes, the tuition increase is effecting me because the economy is bad right now, money is really tight. As much as I love Sweet Briar, it’s a little over priced since we have to pay for other expenses on top of regular tuition.” The fact that we have to pay for other expenses, not including tuition, is what the people who make the tuition do not realize sometimes. On top of paying the $40, 000 for next year, students will have to pay for their books, school supplies, gas, trips to Wal-Mart for groceries and necessary items. On top of that, students like to have some fun, so they still need money for trips to other schools, money to go out to eat, to movies or to go shopping. College now a day is extremely expensive, and when we all graduate we are all going to be in huge debts. Normandy, in regards to this discussion stated “don't get me wrong, I have wonderful parents and said they'd support me wherever I went and pay for it no matter what. I just feel bad for people who barely have enough money to feed their families, but then we pay all this money to go to school per year.” Not only is this true for those who do not have the money to pay, but also for those students who have to pay for college themselves. Those who have to pay for their own college education have to take this tuition increase into consideration because it might affect them once they graduate form Sweet Briar.

However, there are also students on campus who seem to be okay with the decision of the tuition increase. Freshman Lauren Alkire stated “Paying for the tuition is not an issue for my family. My scholarship covers a lot of the tuition. Also, I've been blessed with hardworking parents that are able to support me in school. On one hand the tuition has gone up to $40,000, but then again, Sweet Briar does an amazing job with scholarships and grants. Yes, it's a lot of money, but I still think it’s worth paying for.” Alkire’s statement regarding the fact that Sweet Briar College does an “amazing” job with scholarships and grants is mostly true. According to the Sweet Briar website, back in 2007 92% of students received financial aid assistance, about 49% receive need based assistance and overall Sweet Briar College gave out $6,322, 446 in scholarships and grants. The only thing that could make the financial aid assistance better is if the college offered scholarships for athletics. Sophomore Ashley Adams agreed with Alkire’s statement “The tuition is not affecting my attendance at Sweet Briar because I am just fortunate enough to be able to afford it. There are so many great things about this school and after college, having the Sweet Briar name on your list of achievements; it can help you advance in so many ways. Having a degree from Sweet Briar and having the connections that Sweet Briar offers with alumnae, gives you a great opportunity in the job world.” For these two students, they do not have to pay for the tuition so it is easier for them to accepting of the tuition increase.

A few students have benefits, like sophomore Ebie Baker. Baker says that ‘the sudden increase in tuition does not affect me, luckily, because I have tuition exchange since my dad works at Hampden Sydney. Some aspects of Sweet Briar are really worth it, like just the overall atmosphere, but then again the food and facilities are not that amazing for the amount we pay. But I guess the new gym and apartments are a step up.”

One of the aspects that have been brought up in most of the students opinions is the fact that the atmosphere of Sweet Briar is why most students love the campus so much. Sweet Briar is different than most colleges in our area, because of its community centered environment. We have unique traditions that no other college has, we have close relationships with our faculty and staff that most students do not get to experience at other colleges. We have great alumnae that come throughout the year to spend time with us and speak to us about their experiences at Sweet Briar and after the life in the “pink bubble.” Students at Sweet Briar are leaders and the teachers here find every way to help their students succeed. You do not see this aspect at most colleges.

The last reason why the tuition at Sweet Briar College has increased is the fact that most colleges increase their tuition every year because of needs of the college. The reason why this year’s increase has stood out so much is because the economy is down and students are trying to live cheaper and we have other things we need to pay for, this being the new facilities we will have on campus in the fall. The idea that the tuition increased because the annual fund is not doing well or that alumnae are cutting down on the money they are giving is false. According to Dean Green “The Annual Fund is doing fine this year. We have gotten more money than usual and we think it is because the alumnae are trying to help Sweet Briar stay strong and thriving as we have in the past.”

Students may be asking how they can receive help with the tuition increase or is there going to be more funds offered now that tuition has been increased. On Tuesday, April 21st in the Dew basement there was a discussion held for all those interested in financial aid help and those who wanted to know more about why tuition increased. Not many students showed up to this, so that put the question in my mind that maybe most Sweet Briar students are not affected by the sudden increase in tuition, or maybe everyone was busy and didn’t have the time to go. Bringing up this point to Green he said that “Students are still planning to come back next year. We have not heard of many students not attending in the fall because of the increase.” Green went on to tell me that a few years ago there were six students who decided not to come back to Sweet Briar. Out of those six students, one had filled out a FAFSA form. This is one less than one percent of the student population. From this information we can conclude that students may be well-off and have no need to not return because they have the money to pay the extra couple thousand for a great education. However, if some students are having trouble, Green states “students just need to see what is available in terms of financial aid.”

In finding a way to help out the student pay for the tuition I asked Cindy Sales, the speaker at this program, and she said that students can get financial aid by filling out the FAFSA form and apply to scholarships on collegeboard.com and scholarships.com. Students may also try and see if they are applicable for the merit scholarships, the only scholarships given to returning students. Sales said that “55% of students receive need based assistance.” Since the tuition has increased the scholarship money allotted to students will increase slightly as well, but it is not guaranteed. Students need to go and talk to the financial aid service for more information about what can be done to help them pay for the new college tuition.

Since the tuition has increased by several thousand dollars, the students at Sweet Briar College should be getting some type of benefit from this. Next year, the Sweet Briar community will see a few changes at the college. First off, the students will now have an option to live in green village, the apartments on campus. This is the first time this option has been offered to the students that live on campus. The apartments are like quads and are offered to any upperclassmen. Those who choose this living option have to pay $500 more per year, however, this is a great option for those who do not like the dorm style of living. Another option that will be available to students, is the free laundry. Students will no longer have to pay $1.50 for each load of laundry they do. Many students are very excited about this. Sophomore Alexandra Herrera stated that “I am very pleased that this is now an option for us. Transferring from University of Delaware, I never had to pay for laundry. I was very surprised when I came to Sweet Briar and found out that we had to pay for laundry. Free laundry will make it easier for everyone next year including myself.”

The last and biggest benefit for the increase tuition in the opinion of many students is the use of the new gym facility. Many students are extremely excited about this. In the new gym we will have access to a new and improved bistro, and wrap around running track, new work out room, a movie theater, racquetball courts and a student lounge area. This is a huge addition to the campus and many current students are excited. Senior Amanda Strickland is “happy for those who get to use this facility next year but it is very disappointing that I didn’t get the opportunity to enjoy this while I attended Sweet Briar College.” However, Sophomore Alexandra Eads is “very excited to be able to use this facility next year. Hopefully the bistro will re-evaluate their food choices and everyone will be able to enjoy this facility.”

An interesting point that was brought to my attention as I was talking to one student on Sunday afternoon was presented by Sophomore Nell Malbon. She said that “As much as we pay to attend Sweet Briar, I think we are offered a lot, but what would be even better is if we had an outdoor pool on our campus. Many girls would use it and it would be a great addition to our campus. If we had a pool, our campus would be absolutely perfect.” Even though students are pleased about the new gym and apartments, some students still feel the needs that more work needs to be done to the campus. Maybe after a few years Sweet Briar College will feel the need for an outdoor pool to be available to their students. Overall, the tuition increase is because they college needs to pay off its expenses for building the new gym, the construction of the green village, making laundry free, and adding the wireless internet. Sweet Briar College also needed to increase tuition because of the competition from the other private liberal arts colleges around our area. The college has been cautious over the years with the amount that students need to pay, but they feel the need now to increase prices so the college can run smoothly. Students can receive help with the tuition increase by going to the financial aid office and asking them for their help on finding more information about scholarships and the various merit programs offered to Sweet Briar students. Hopefully, most of the colleges students will come back next year and enjoy all the new facilities offered to the students.

New Young Artists Making Their Way to Star-dom

Many young inspiring artists are trying to come out into the music world. However, there is one young woman who has been trying for a few years to have her music to become more well-known and she is slowly getting what she had wnated. Kina Grannis, a 23 year old from, California started her love to sing at a very young age and it has stayed with ehr ever since. She started playing the guitar at age 15 and once she learned how to play she couldn't help but not become totally involved with her music. Once getting into he University of Sounthern California she put her great voice into action and was elected to be in theThorton School of Music to do a six piece EP. This was featured in one episode of Geberal Hopsital. Her music has slowly been added to myspace and has even hit the itunes store. She has been featured for many commercials and even had a battle with another new artist Landon Austin for a doritos commercial.

She has been trying to make her way to stardom like many other artists so lets hope that this works for her.

http://music.aol.com/artist/kina-grannis/biography/627564

Chris Brown and Rhianna's Drama

The drama between Chris Brown and Rhianna has been going on for forever it seems. The two started dating in May of last year. At first not many people knew about the couple because they wanted to keep their relationship away from the public and the press. After a while, they couldn't hide it anymore and the truth came out. They seemed to have a happy relationship until astonishing news came out about the couple. Chris Brown has been said to have hit Rhianna. We don't know why Brwon would do such a thing or what caused him to go thoguh with the act, but it was looked very poorly upon and could have runied his image. Still after a few months ago, he has been in court. He was in court today, March 23rd, for another hearing. He could be convicted of staying in jail for 5 years if he is found guilty to assaulting Rhianna.

After hearing about this incident, I was very shocked because Chris Brown seems to be very sweet, caring, fun loving and just an all around good guy. He is so young and to already be considering jail time has been very hard on his career. The two had such a good reationship, from what the public saw, that it is hard to see this happening. As much as everyone would like to think that Chris Brown did not do this, he did and it should be taken seriously. He is just like any other person who has beaten a woman, and should be punished for it.


Here is one link related to this case
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1607499/20090323/brown__chris__18_.jhtml

Twilight: Selling more than 3 Million Copies the First Day!

Since the Twilight epidemic first began, it has been a huge hit for young teens and even the older generation. Opening weekend, Twilight made $70 million, which was astonishing! This is one of the most popular series than the Harry Potter novels. Twilight has skyrocketed to the extreme and it seems like everyone is becoming more and more invloved with this new series.

I remember first hearing about this book, I thought that it was ridiculous for me to be reading a book about vampiers, when that type of fantasy was not what I was interested in. However, both my sister and cousin were obsessed with the book. It took me a while to finally listen to my cousin and pick up the book and start reading it, and that was after I watched the movie. I absolutetly loved the movie and once I read the book I liked the series a whole lot more. It is very interesting and is a easy read.

As of now, twilight has been one of the five best-selling DVD's of the last two years. It has really made an impact on the movie market and just our generation in general. We can only hope that the next few books and movies that come out will be just as good or even better, than the first book, so people still stay interested in the Twilight series.

Here is the link for the article.
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1607498/20090323/story.jhtml

New Trends for 2009

The new colors for 2009 are yellow and navy blue. In all the magazines like Elle and Vogue you are seeing the stars show of these new colors. Also sheer fabrics and the "toga" look are coming back in style. Frindged clothing and designs like butterflies and flowers are coming back into style as well. However, high heels and the ripped jeans are also coming back in style as well as the mid drift has been noted that it might be coming back in style again. It seems like the 'Britney Spears" look may be coming back, which I particialarly do not like. It seems to me like the style has been going all over the place. First we have a more conservative look and now they are saying that togas and the mid drifts are coming back again, we are not in the 90's anymore. Hopefully this new trend is just a rumor and people wnat fall into the trap thinking that they can start wearing belly shirt again. I think that we have definitly grown out of that stage.

If you go on the link that I provided, you can see all the new trends that will be in style. If you click on all the different seasons it will show you what is in.

http://www.fashionising.com/trends/b--Womens-SpringSummer-2009-Fashion-Trends-1288.html