This article is an update concerning the recently formed activist group, Smith Students for Fair Tuition and Financial Aid. Read The Sophian’s previous coverage of this story, here.
Over the past few weeks, Smith students have continued to rally in support of financially struggling friends and peers.
The Facebook group that was created on Aug. 5th has amassed 290 members and born an organizing team to help further their cause. Most recently, the group hosted a boycott of Convocation on Aug. 31st, a yearly Smith tradition that usually draws support from the majority of the student body. Originally, the plan was to boycott the first day of classes, but the group pivoted to boycotting Convocation in response to student concerns. The entire Smith community was invited to participate in the boycott by sending an email blast to the Smith administration stating their intentions to skip the event in support of low income and financially struggling students. A sample email template was provided by the organization on their various social media accounts.
The group hopes that the boycott draws the attention of Smith’s administration to this urgent community need. A refined list of their demands, which was included in the distributed email templates, follows, courtesy of two of their chief organizers:
- Responsive care and attention to students reaching out about concerns surrounding their financial aid
- A full commitment in meeting students financial needs, with priority given to increased grant aid rather than loans
- A need-based stipend given to students who express economic hardship prioritizing undocumented students and students on work study
- Students’ final bill will be 24.29% less (the same percentage of cost decrease that upper class Smithies experienced this year due to not having to pay room and board) of the bill they paid last year (ex. Williams College, who among other things got rid of expected student contribution)
- Students who paid more this year than last year for an off campus experience be reimbursed
- And finally, that no Smith worker is laid off in the name of supporting students’ financial needs
Leela de Paula ‘23 shared more details about the group’s plans and makeup in an IGTV video on her personal Instagram account on Aug. 30th. Amid concerns that the group is not representative of the community it is working to support, she emphasized that the organizing team is primarily led by low income students, like herself, and that their concerns and thoughts are placed at the forefront of their decision making process. The group also includes students from middle and upper class backgrounds who are serving as allies and supporters to the cause. “I welcome all of you, particularly low income students. We want your input,” de Paula said.
On Aug. 31st, the organizers hosted an open forum on Zoom a few hours prior to the start of Convocation to field questions and suggestions from community members about their course of action and to provide more information concerning the boycott. The forum was advertised through social media and garnered around 20 attendees; some organizers, some concerned students who had heard about their work and wanted to participate.
The students’ feelings towards the college’s financial support focused around a few repeated complaints. Some said that Student Financial Services had been “rude” or “inaccessible” when responding to questions, specifically through emails. Some said that many emails from SFS come delayed or simply not at all.
A few incoming Smithies attending the forum expressed frustration that as brand new college students, SFS has not provided the kind of support that they require, or the clear information they need. Some expressed concern that SFS won’t consider financial aid appeals until late into the year — when it’s already too late to help struggling students, and that undocumented (who cannot receive government relief funds), first generation, and independent students are especially suffering from increased financial burden.
Many Smithies are living off campus in independent housing situations and wish that Smith’s integrated personal expense budget of $3000 into our tuition would be increased to match the need for rent support. The discussion came to a head when one attendee pointed out that on Smith’s COVID-19 FAQ website it says that Smith’s “underlying financial condition is strong.” “I’d rather see written that their underlying financial condition is okay,” one student posited, “if it means that the rest of us are okay, too.” The list of concerns goes on.
When asked for a comment about this developing situation, David DeSwert, VP of Finance and Administration assured The Sophian that various Smith administrators have been in contact with students concerning this issue. He emphasized the complexities of this struggle, even citing in his email the same quote used in Amanda Chisolm’s Aug 21st article that came from an opinion piece from Inside Higher Ed, to emphasize his point — find that article, here.
DeSwert said, “for Smith, the key points to understand are these: 1) Smith is one of the few colleges in the country that meets the demonstrated need of every student. 2) Students whose financial circumstances have changed should reach out to the Office of Student Financial Services to discuss their situation.” In addition, he said, Smith has rolled back its intended tuition increase, increased the personal expense budget, reduced or eliminated work study expectation, and helped provide technological assistance for students. The Sophian has not received a comment back from SFS.
Yet, testimonials from financially struggling students (featured on @breadandrosessociety Instagram) tell a different story. The Aug. 31st forum showed a strong outpour of student support for this movement; it didn’t even include every member of the organizing team, as many were at work at 12 EST on a Monday, trying to make money to remedy the exact problems they are trying to solve. While the boycott is a step in the right direction for their mission, the group’s plans seem to focus on long term action. The group is calling for the email blast to continue to members of the Smith administration, including President McCartney and Dave Belanger, director of Student Financial Services. The group will continue to provide sample emails and potential contact lists on their social media accounts. The petition is still in the works, too, and will be available soon.
To find more information about this organization and their developing work, visit their Facebook group, Smith Students for Fair Tuition and Fin Aid, or the following Instagram accounts: @breadandrosessociety.
