The Columbia Strike: Organizing Against Increasing Tuition Fees during COVID-19
Words by Ruth Martinez
Cover Photo courtesy of Columbia YDSA Twitter
Students at Columbia University have made headlines regarding the ongoing strike opposing tuition increases during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Columbia Spectator, the university’s student-run publication, there were nearly 2,000 students in support of the strike in December 2020. Both undergraduate and graduate students were demanding a ten percent reduction in cost of attendance and more recognition for student workers, amongst other demands. Two months later, these demands remain steady and nearly 4,500 students have now pledged their support.
Students participating in the tuition strike, organized by the university’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), pledged to withhold all tuition payments for the spring semester. In a concession in December 2020, the university announced an increase in financial aid and a waive of late fees for January. However, the issue of late fees continues to be a pressing concern for students and organizers. According to Columbia’s YDSA Twitter account, nearly $157,000 has been charged in late fees for students who are actively on strike, and another round of fees were to be charged on February 18.
Tweet courtesy of Columbia YDSA Tuition Strike
Columbia’s YDSA has also organized a thread of petitions including a letter to Columbia administrators, sign-on sheets for alumni pledging to stop donations, and an email campaign. Among this thread is also a petition organized by Columbia’s graduate workers, who are planning to go on strike starting February 25 if the university does not meet their demands for student workers. While some concessions have been made, YDSA says they will continue to strike until all their demands have been met, outlined in a letter to the university.
Concerns about tuition have been widespread across various college campuses. Many students have questioned the costs of remote learning and whether tuition increases are justified during a time of economic uncertainty for many. Similar sentiments have risen across CUNY campuses, which have also seen tuition increases. As outlined by PSC CUNY, a union representing faculty and staff, CUNY’s budget request included an increase of $200 per year in tuition and a new $120 health and wellness fee. This proposal is incredibly controversial during a time where many students have lost their on-campus jobs and state and federal aid face limitations.
PSC CUNY has also partnered with the New York Public Interest Group (NYPIRG) and CUNY/SUNY organizations to hold an online plenary and lobby meetings. Starting February 16 to the 19, these organizations plan to demand increases in funding for financial aid across CUNY and SUNY campuses. Many students here at City College have also expressed their concerns regarding financial aid. Daniel Santos, a political science major, criticized the university’s plans to increase tuition. “Raising tuition should be the last thing anyone should be thinking about during the middle of a pandemic,” he says, “I have friends who lost their jobs or can’t work as often because of responsibilities at home. If anything, the university should be lowering costs.”
These thoughts are echoed by many other college students, both at CUNY and across the country. The pandemic has landed many students in difficult economic situations, and the shift to online learning has added stress for many. The Columbia University strike is a reflection of the anxieties created by the pandemic that are further exacerbated by many universities’ decisions to increase tuition while financial aid remains uncertain. It is also part of a larger conversation about the fight for higher education affordability, and if the ongoing strikes are anything to go by, this fight is just getting started.
