by Courtney Wight '26 on January 22, 2026
Uncategorized
This past week, I went out to dinner with a couple of friends. It was a celebratory first-week-back meal, so we got some drinks and an appetizer in addition to our main meals. The total bill for the four of us (after tip) came out to around $200. While the food was good and we had a great time, I don’t think it was worth $200. This dinner is just one instance of a larger feeling I’ve had building over the past years: my money does not go as far as it used to.
Over the past few years, it feels like every aspect of life has become more expensive, particularly for students. Whether it is our tuition, meal plans, or student experiences, it constantly feels like nothing is affordable anymore.
Each year, I’ve watched my Providence College bill increase. Now this is partially because I moved from the traditional housing—which is cheaper—to an on-campus apartment, but the increase is not just this. Tuition and meal plans have consistently risen in price over my time at PC. Tuition during my freshman spring cost $28,490, which is not cheap by any means. Now as a senior, my spring tuition was $32,435.
Now I’m not an idiot; I know inflation exists. However, it can begin to feel like the increases in prices are unnecessary. For example, all students are charged an activity fee. As an avid event attender, I acknowledge this is a necessary charge that should be paid for and that attending college events adds to my college experience. However, since my freshman year, the activity fee increased from $175 a semester to $230 a semester without any explanation as to why.
The PC administration has quietly made the college experience more expensive and simply hopes no one notices. One of these areas is student tickets for games. Despite my protest to $10 hockey tickets, prices have not gone back to $5. Instead, for this most recent game against Boston College, men’s hockey tickets were $15. Treating student ticket pricing like a concert sale on Ticketmaster with dynamic pricing is ridiculous. Last year the ticket to the Boston College game was $5, just as every other game last season!
Some may argue that if students want to save money, they should simply not go to events that cost money. I find this extremely stupid because PC is a sports school. Part of campus culture is attending games and the administration knows this. Student tickets no longer feel like a bargain, instead, it feels like PC’s administration and athletics department are taking advantage of their dedicated student fanbase.
To freshmen, a $10 hockey ticket seems normal, but seniors remember when those same tickets were $4. Freshmen are not receiving the same quality of student experience, despite paying an increased amount. Seniors remember Food Truck Fridays or when the Global Station at Ray Dining Hall used to change everyday and how huge it was to see either the orange chicken or ravioli that day.
I’ve felt my student experience decline over my time at PC. Every big event has become more and more expensive, from dances to Senior Ring Weekend, Homecoming, and the Spring Concert. Elements of the PC student tradition are no longer affordable and students are losing out on amazing experiences. I’ve loved my time at PC and I have met some of my lifelong friends here. I feel bad for underclassmen who may not be able to have the same experience I did because it is financially out-of-reach. Many of my favorite moments have been at student events and sports games. I encourage all students to take advantage of the free events across campus as a way to save money, but students should not have to consider if they’re going to the game with their friends or not because it is too expensive.