Editorial: Graduation application fee is so unncessary

Applications for spring graduation were due by Nov. 15 for all seniors looking to receive that well-deserved diploma in the spring. After handing in the application to the registrar, those lucky seniors will find an additional fee on their spring bill, increasing the money they owe to the university.
To the average person not in college, $45 does not seem to be that much of a dent in your bank account. After spending an average of $19,000 per year over the course of four years, students find another addition to their already large tuition bill with little explanation. To the average Rowan student, forking over more money seems like an unnecessary excess.
In addition to the cost appearing pointless, where the money actually goes is barely explained. The only hint graduating seniors get is the sentence referring to a $45 processing fee that will be either added to next semester’s bill or paid at the time of the application. But does it really cost that fee to process an application, shuffle around a few papers or to make sure a name gets put on a list? What exactly falls under the word “processing?”
The fees associated with graduation are unnecessary for the sole reason that nothing is guaranteed. We are paying for basically a piece of paper that supposedly legitimizes all of our hard work, our grades and the last four years at Rowan University. The $45 does not guarantee us the right to walk in commencement, nor does it cover the cap, gown or cords that we would like to display if we choose to walk. The cap and gown alone are another $30.
If paying the original fee wasn’t bad enough, Rowan found another way to take money out of a student’s pocket.
The university managed to fine a graduating student if they attempted to hand in the application after the Nov. 15 date for spring applications. The application say that any late applicants have to pay an additional $30 fee.
Students have become so accustomed to paying money for their education that few ask why we have to pay to graduate. We say just tack it on to the rest of the $40,000 we owe as a whole and we’ll deal with it later.
But you should question it. After all, it is your money, your bank account and your future that this small fee affects. You should be aware of where your money is going and if it’s going to the right places. It seems like an innocent, congratulatory fee to receive your diploma, but is it really necessary? Or is it another excuse for Rowan to take money from us?