Graduate students launch petition calling for 10 percent tuition discount

By Isha Trivedi

July 31, 2020

Professor Christopher Mores discusses how face masks and hand sanitizers affect our ability to combat the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. He said the best precaution people can take is to wash their hands and refrain from touching their face.

Graduate students launched a petition Tuesday calling for officials to expand GW’s tuition discount to include graduate and professional students.

Officials announced Monday that all undergraduate courses with “limited exceptions” will be held remotely for the fall semester after previously announcing plans last month for a hybrid fall semester. Officials said in an email that undergraduates who do not return to campus will also receive a 10 percent discount on fall tuition but only currently plan to not increase tuition for the 2020-21 academic year for graduate students, according to an email sent to graduate students.

The letter, which has garnered more than 600 signatures, provides as examples American and Georgetown universities’ decisions to implement tuition discounts for graduate students. American University is providing a 10 percent discount to both undergraduate and graduate students, and Georgetown University is providing a five percent discount for graduate students and a 10 percent discount for undergraduate students.

“During a time like this, where students are hesitant to make a sound decision as far as relocating, we would like for the GW administration to take into consideration the financial burden that may come with paying for tuition during a global health crisis,” the petition states.

The Student Association Senate passed a resolution Monday calling for officials to expand the tuition reduction to apply to graduate students and students living on campus this semester.

The petition states that graduate students use similar on-campus resources as undergraduate students that will be carried out virtually this fall like the library and career services and are subject to similar financial burdens due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While we understand the decision to carry out these services virtually, we also believe that graduate students will be just as affected by these changes and therefore should be granted the same consideration,” the petition states.

A University spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment.