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“Easy Living” is a program instituted during this last school year, which significantly reduced the cost of living on campus. The more credits a student has accumulated, the lower the rate of room and board. For example, seniors paid $2,200 for a double-as-a-double and meal plan (fall 2003/spring 2004), essentially allowing them to eat at Marina for free. This program has attracted many students to take advantage of the new rates, and the beginning of the semester found the four dormitories almost reaching full capacity.
It is probable that the idea behind the plan was to attract a significant enough number quantitatively, which would make up for the qualitative lack. Yet, without reaching the “critical mass” necessary to do so, the program would be, simply put, unreasonable. The Vice-President of Administration and Finance, Thomas Oates, who came to UB last semester, explained that the “prices that were established for the Easy Living program [last year] could have been better priced” as they did not take into account the “costs associated with running the program.” Although it may seem that the prices are continually rising, it may be worthwhile to look into the actual numbers to see what is going on.
In the past, a meal plan with a double-as-a-double cost $3,880 for all students (except for chiropractic & naturopathic students) while under the 2003-2004 Easy Living plan, a meal plan and a double-as-a-double would cost: $4,000 for a freshman, $3,600 for a sophomore, $2,400 for a junior and $2,200 for seniors. The Fall 2004 prices for a double-as-a-double are as follows: $4,200 for freshmen, $4,000 for sophomores, $3,500 for juniors and $2,600 for seniors. The disproportionate increase in prices may be puzzling, but Oates pointed out that there was a “fairness issue” in that the costs associated with room and board for a senior was no less different than a freshman, and billing based on credits was not altogether fair. Yet, the price discrepancy between a chiropractic student getting a single and a double-as-a-single is a whopping $1,200, while for a junior, the difference is (a mere) $800.
It is expected that after having lowered the prices, those same prices would be accepted as the “norm” and raising them would not be received favorably, reflected senior, Kazuko Nakamura. It may be worth mentioning that the price for room and board at a private institution in the area averages around $8,400 (while UB seniors will be paying $5,200)
UB $8,400-$5,200, SHU $8,430, FU $8,920, NHU $7,930