As budget cuts and spending freezes threaten the educational system in North Carolina, Appalachian State University seems content in finding alternate funding methods.
    Namely, these methods are called students.
    Students witness firsthand the effects of the economic downturn, as prices rise on nearly everything students consume, and even some things they never see.
    According to the Office of Student Account’s Web site, estimated cost of full-time attendance for undergraduates in 2003-04 includes an athletic fee of $168, student activity fee of $158.25, retirement of debt for $170, technology fee of $56, Health Services fee of $92.50, book rental fee of $64, transportation fee of $20.25 and 50 cents to Student Government Association.
    Note these fees are per semester.
    Supplemental textbooks tack an additional chunk to the cost of attendance. Any class requiring materials quickly adds to the bill, especially photography and art classes.
    After a consumables fee, matting, paper and film, or brushes, canvas, presentation board and paint, it is easy to forget what a dollar looks like.
    On-campus meals cost a pretty penny, and walking to the local grocery store, in the snow, without a jacket, can a better option than using real money at the Market.
    Off-campus students experience their first taste of independence, and independence is expensive. Rent, utility and maintenance bills add up quickly.
    Parking fees, laundry money, graduation expenses and extra winter layers mean more money needs to come from somewhere.
    Many students do have the support of their parents, however. Either through loans or direct assistance, they forward their bills to their home address.
    But not all students have that luxury. Often times Mom and Dad are feeling the economic crunch too.
    State appropriations provide funding for nearly 42.4 percent of the university’s $193.2 million in spending each year, according to the annual financial report. Students’ tuition and fees contribute approximately 15.5 percent.
    Despite the relatively small proportion of educational costs actually paid by students, it is necessary to remember that not all students can afford increases.
    Small increases here and there add up to a large chunk of change that can ultimately decide whether a student can complete their degree at Appalachian State University.
    When Food Services raises the price of deli sandwiches 2 cents per ounce, it may not seem like a big deal. But if all university services increased their fees, it will create enough of a financial burden to keep some students out of the loop.
    The university runs like a business and profits are always a welcome sight.
    But at the same time, Appalachian State needs to remember its priorities. The university is not here to turn a buck. It is here for the purpose of educating.
    As long as it is called Appalachian State University, and not Appalachian State Incorporated, students need to be considered when prices swell.
    In difficult financial times, sacrifices must be made.
    Those sacrifices shouldn’t include the less financially stable students.