With graduation season fast approaching, colleges are buzzing with great relief as the academic year comes to an end but for many as myself, there is no such thing as relief.

Thoughts of walking the stage and receiving a Bachelor degree should feel like a great moment but it is only a reminder at how the cost of Higher Public Education is effecting students. Not only do recent graduates have the fear of getting their dream job after college, but there is also the fear of student loan debt payments. Across America, the Class of 2016 graduate has an average of $37,172 in student loan debt. With cost of tuition rising and the need for students to provide their own school books, transportation and living expenses there is no wonder why college graduates are leaving schools with such high amounts of debt.

As someone who is a recent Rhode Island College graduate and will walk the stage this May, I will also be leaving college with over $20,000 in debt. This is a sad reality in which I have been trying to prepare myself, but what I was not prepared for was the extra cost of actually GRADUATING. Going to pick up my Cap and Gown and having to pay 60 dollars was astonishing. On top of that I learned that parents and friends of graduates are not allowed to take pictures during the ceremony, the college has designated a professional photographer to capture the great moment, and yes, we will have to pay for those photos as well. I was taken aback by the thought that not only will I have to pay back loans for this four-year degree I will be receiving, but will also have to pay to even participate in walking the stage. It is ridiculous to think that I will have to pay for a photo of the moment that my proud mother will want to have, a photo she could take herself.

For academic year 2016-2017, the average tuition costs for Colleges in Rhode Island State is $8,452 for in-state and $31,189 for out-of-state. Tuition costs have risen over the years and will continue to rise, yet colleges still take every penny they can get on top of that. From food costs in the café to paying for printing in the library, us as students should not have to pay to walk. Many students and many of their parents have paid high prices to be able to accomplish these great goals. Some have sacrificed sleep in order to maintain a part-time job and full time college, more importantly, MANY have sacrificed living comfortably for the next 10 to 20 years in order to be able to afford their education by accruing student loans.

Any student that has worked hard to receive such an honor as receiving a Bachelors should not have to pay for their moment to shine, a moment that is a supposed to be a reminder that sticking to one’s goals is rewarding and not just costly.

We shouldn’t have to pay to walk!