OP-ED: I’d Like to Pay More for My On-Campus Housing, and Here’s Why

As students at one of the most expensive universities east of the Mississippi, University of Pennsylvania undergraduates often feel pressure to be frugal and save money. But when it comes to on-campus housing, I say why settle for less?

College is a time to enjoy ourselves and make memories. How are we expected to do that with pocketfuls of Benny Franklins weighing us down?

Close your eyes and picture this: you cough up an additional $2,000 a semester and in every room, there are built-in espresso machines, those toilets that open when you walk up to them, and freshly laundered Saks bedding (CHAS makes your bed for you every night).

I don’t want you to think that paying more would only benefit you. Paying more for housing (stick with me here, I know it’s hard to believe), will also benefit our beloved university. With this extra money, Penn will be able to better invest in the future of OUR education. Just think about how wonderfully they already operate, then imagine that ten-fold. That will be our lives.

So join me in signing a petition to increase housing fees for underclassmen. Don’t be afraid to spend a little extra on on-campus housing. Remember… you have to spend money to make money.