Dear Editor,

In California, the cost of living is at an all-time high. When you add college tuition and resources for school, that price skyrockets drastically. Those school resources most often include books, costs of classes, and transportation. School can sometimes be seen as a burden to some, let’s help make resources more accessible to those attending. 

 Resources are available to students, but sometimes they can be challenging to find. Thanks to the San Diego Foundation for allowing an analysis from The Economist, there has been a study that shows there has been a fifteen fold increase in the average cost of books since 1970. This marks three times the rate of inflation. On average, a full-time undergraduate can expect to spend as much as $1,400 on books and other resources each year they are in school. This is a financial drawback to those attending college. However, those going to college mostly understand the financial decisions they are going to have to make when committing to college. 

I believe school resources should be easier to access.  Additional online access to more books and study materials can make learning more convenient and accessible. More digital libraries can be set up  for students to borrow ebooks and other digital resources. Schools could possibly even work with public transportation providers who can offer discounted fares to students. Lastly, schools can keep libraries, computer labs, and other resources open for longer hours, even on weekends. This can help students who work or have other events going on in their lives still have access to school resources outside of regular school hours. In the end, making school resources more accessible requires creativity and a willingness to try new approaches.  

Lara Jullian, DVC student