“If you have the impression that Akron is simply a commuter school, that just is not the case. There are many out-of-state students that attend school here. But if you are a commuter and aren’t around on the weekends, you would not realize the amount of students who are.”
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If you have the impression that Akron is simply a commuter school, that just is not the case.

There are many out-of-state students that attend school here. But if you are a commuter and aren’t around on the weekends, you would not realize the amount of students who are. A lot of people who go to Akron chose to come here because it is near where they live and they can commute from home. The question is: what draws out-of-state students?

Rachael Nichilo, a sophomore majoring in Sports Science is here for her first year after transferring from Mercyhurst Northeast in Pennsylvania. She came here because she was interested in sports and a relevant major was not offered at her previous school. She also wanted to try and join the softball team.

Chris Oldach, a sophomore whose major is Mass Media communications, decided Akron was right for him because he was drawn to the communication program.

Another student, sophomore Justin Cree, a Civil Engineering major, in based his decision on the good reputation the civil engineering program has here at UA.

These students heard about Akron from college fairs, friends from high school that attend school here and the internet. Tuition for out of state students has more than doubled.

Yes, that’s right, more than doubled.

Oldach believes it’s unfair, but at the same time I think it’s designed for the Ohio residents to actually go here.

I don’t think it’s fair because if you want to go to a college it shouldn’t matter if you are in state or not, and I bet it turns away a lot of people who are out of state because it is so expensive, adds Nichilo.

On top of the fact that tuition is doubled, all students are required to pay a lot of extra fees, including general service fee, facilities fee and administrative fee.

Cree thinks that some of these fees are pointless, but there is nothing to do about it. Nichilo believes that because we pay so much more for out-of-state tuition, those fees should be removed from our bill and we shouldn’t have to pay all the extra fees.

Although none of these three students currently have a job here on campus, they do not think that employers realize that tuition has increased. If employers realized that tuition was more than doubled they would be more willing to hire out-of-state students because they are willing to come here and pay the extra money.

Being an out-of-state student could be tough because not only are they farther from home then most other students, but they have to make new friends, learn their way around a new town and get accustomed to college. Cree believes that it was an adjustment coming here, but he now feels welcome.

None of these three students believe that it is necessary to have a car on campus, but they do believe it is beneficial. It is useful to get home, but everything I need is within walking distance, says Oldach. Nichilo knows several people who go here that I could just bum a ride off of if necessary.

Considering that out-of-state students generally do not go home every weekend, they have to survive with campus food. Cree states Rob’s has pretty flexible hours, but we definitely get screwed over on the weekends with the shortened hours.

He also thinks that another cafeteria should be opened after this year because Rob’s can get very crowded. Oldach doesn’t think it would be necessary to have another large cafeteria, but I think a smaller café area, like the Market Place in an area different from the Student Union would be good.

Nichilo believes another improvement that Akron could make to benefit out-of-state students more would be to open the Student Union on Sundays.

So, if everyone goes home on the weekends, what is there to do for those who stay here?

These three students do homework, go to the rec center, hang out with friends, watch football, take naps and party.

Oldach says, It depends if there is a sporting event to go to, but some weekends it can get boring. Nichilo agrees and that is why she is looking for a job.

In the end, the real question to be asked is whether or not Akron is everything these students expected it to be.

Oldach and Nichilo believe that Akron is everything they expected it to be and more.

I was disappointed when I came here because it is a commuter school and it isn’t truly a Division 1 atmosphere, Cree concludes. A lot of kids just take classes and go home and don’t participate in activities and other things. That’s my biggest disappointment, but everything else is pretty good.

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