Dear Harvey Mudd College,

As a high school student with the full intent of coming to a university to pursue my future, I would like to tell you some of my concerns with the rising cost of college tuition. I write to you with respect, understanding and appreciation of your mission to take generations of eager students like myself and transform them into knowledgeable and skilled members of society. That is a value that both of us share.

I want a future for me and my peers where we can go to a great campus like yours and pay a reasonable price for this opportunity, and I am sure that you want us to grow into success after we graduate. But, I write this letter because I am concerned that the price of college tuition is starting to outweigh the benefits of a degree, especially in this growing age and economy, where a lot of talented individuals aren’t successfully achieving their goals.

I understand that it takes a lot of money to run a great college like Harvey Mudd, which makes it justifiable for your price to be what it is. I understand that you are an esteemed college, and to that I congratulate you; you and your students must take pride in being considered elite, which has some justification for your price. Things like keeping that high academic level rigorous, college athletics and sports, maintaining campus standards, and so much more come into play.

Most college students would lose the pride and the motivation to go to class if it weren’t for all of those enjoyable perks that come with being a student at your college. The NCAA division is a crucial piece of American culture, and without it, a part of our country would be missing. There would be no tailgating, pride in your state, “Auburn’s gonna win the football game!”, and so much more that comes with all of the things that come into play with budgeting and designing a college.

I am just a high school student who isn’t completely informed about everything that goes into keeping everything running like clockwork, but I am sure it is a lot. These types of things are what give every student a reason to go to school at your school and the schools around the country; it gives them character and invites them to build who they are, which I am completely on board for; it is a value that we share. But I am writing this letter because I am not just talking for myself, but for my whole student body who can be troubled financially before college, and could be troubled after.

Despite these benefits that come with the addition of an education, tuition prices have grown past what most students gain from their education due to inflation and average family income. Now, in retrospect, this isn’t your fault entirely. I can go on and on about inflation and politics, but that would not really boil down to colleges like yours at the root of the issue.

Yes, everything is expensive in today’s age. I may not have all of the fees that come with an adult yet, but I am aware that inflation is a concerning topic to both of us. So, considering that, I would like to address your more business-minded side of thinking.

There are families to feed on your end as well, and I understand that in order to gain something out of giving students their future, the price must follow the need; but I truly believe that colleges have gone overboard. The annual tuition back in 1970 was $394 approximately for public schools and $1,706 for private schools. With this, colleges were able to build themselves up and pay all of their professors, and students were able to go to school at a fair price, to then go out and build the world that I live in today.

To buy a burger back then for lunch, it was around 50 cents, and now it has jumped to $5.00. which is a pretty significant jump in inflation, which does justify a hefty college tuition price. But to go to your college for one year, it is approximately $98,984. That is 58 times more expensive than it was 50 years ago. Now, this inflation is staining your students and making it difficult to start their adulthood, which brings me to my motivation for bringing this to you.

Sure, Mr. McAfee and Corso can say that they have Alabama this week, but I am here to say that something needs to change to get back to how it used to be: a fair, reasonably priced exchange.

I wouldn’t be writing this to you, though, if I didn’t believe in some middle ground; I think a more diverse tuition experience, where students can choose to opt out of unnecessary costs, would allow students not to be weighed down with debt and still gain a distinguished degree, while providing for your needs to run such a campus. This compromise would ensure that our shared values of opportunity, success and responsibility remain strong throughout every student’s college experience, and especially yours in your beautiful campus in California. For me and the Harvey Mudd Alumni to “get out there” and change the world, we need to rely on a college that puts its values ahead of its business success.