Coming as a surprise to perhaps only the new freshmen class, CMU does not offer free parking, even to the faculty. The price CMU charges for parking each year helps pay for the wonderful dirt, and occasionally paved, lots we have become accustomed to. However, this year prices have been raised. Having attended CMU for five years, this is a first. Yes, tuition prices have gotten steadily more out of hand, but the price of a parking spot has always stayed the same, until now. A commuter pass was previously $100, now it is $110. A residence hall pass used to cost $125, now it’s $135.
With these new increases, one has to wonder why students and faculty have to pay the fees separately. Why should we, after forking over a ton of money to pay for tuition, then have to walk to the University Center to give them even more money for a piece of dirt to park our Prius?
Parking has already been established as a luxury, not a necessity at Mesa, so here is a better alternative if we do have to pay. Why not include the parking fees into the yearly cost of enrollment? Hide the fees away like the school does with everything else. Then, those zesty Mesa ambassadors can loudly proclaim to parents that Mesa offers ‘free’ parking to all that enroll.
Did you know that CSU, Mines and DU all have a similar system of rolling the cost of parking into student fees? Why can’t we, at CMU, follow a similar approach? We already do it for many other areas. CMU charges nearly $27 each semester for ‘student’ fees. These fees go to everything from The Outdoor Program to paying for the Macklemore concert you may or may not have attended. In Europe, when you buy an item, be it groceries or a car, the tax is already included in the product. If you buy a loaf of bread for 5 Euros, the loaf of bread will be 5 Euros, not 5.40. When you pay the tuition amount, why not include the parking price as well? Then, there are no extra expenses down the line, and it gives students, and more importantly, their parents, the illusion of free parking.
But what if I don’t want to buy a parking pass? What if I want to bike to school all year or ride my hipster-esque long board? Those dilemmas can be easily remedied by notifying CMU before the school year. That’s the reason why we have an ‘opt out’ box on most paperwork.
In a time where people are counting every dollar more and more, why not combine parking fees with tuition costs? If a student has to pay 19 cents each semester for a ‘grass maintenance’ fee, surely they won’t mind paying $110 for a place to park their very own vehicle.