Summertime, and the Money's Not Easy

With summer quickly approaching, most Columbia College students are scurrying to secure internships, jobs, or programs of study that will fill the months with productivity. While fierce competition may quash some students’ ambitions, the College’s lack of financial aid for summer courses may hinder the aspirations of others. The College should encourage its students’ success by working to make summer classes more affordable.

As a two-term school, the College’s degree programs are designed to span eight spring and fall semesters, so the College does not sponsor a summer term. The College therefore confines financial aid to its eight spring and fall semesters. The only summer courses—without financial aid—that ensure credit for College students are through the School of General Studies’ Summer Session at a cool $1,146 per credit. The College’s strict credit requirements stipulate that degree credit can only be earned via courses taken at Columbia College or affiliated schools, with added restrictions by department and few, if any, exceptions. While eight semesters of class time that qualify for the College’s financial aid are well suited for the needs of most students, this structure gives rise to uncomfortable hurdles for a significant minority. Students wishing to combine heavy major requirements with study abroad, for example, may find themselves ineligible for such programs, due to strained schedules that do not accomodate necessary point requirements. While the Core is at the heart of the College, its heavy point requirements are likely to complicate this scenario further. The combination of a core curriculum and a lack of financial support for extra classes is enough to deter many students from even applying to Columbia’s summer program.

For students balancing heavy majors and credit constraints, the lack of summer aid or the inability to fulfill credit requirements could pose a hurdle for success. True, it could be argued that the lack of aid encourages students to pursue summer employment or other options that would expand their undergraduate experience beyond the academic purview. However, this is not to say that special programs are not of equal importance—students should have a choice of which summer plan best fits their needs, not be barred from exploring their options because of financial constraints. Additionally, some students pursue internships or part-time jobs during the fall and spring semester, making them seek out a lighter course load. Accommodating these students does not mean that the College should seek to stretch its dwindling resources thin by offering unconditional, need-based aid for summer study or by creating a third term. However, this problem does indicate that the College’s credit requirements and premium priced summer study may stand in the way of excellence and must therefore be reproached.

The College should seriously consider adding financial aid for summer classes, especially due to all the circumstances from study abroad to internships that could lead a student to spend the summer in school. With this significant step, Columbia College can be sure that its students will truly be able to achieve their full potential.