Numbers Rise in Commuter Students: Is Lasell too Expensive?

By Holly Griffin
Lasell College is the learning
institution for 2,061 students.
According to the registrars office,
as of the fall of 2013, 74 percent are
residents and dorm in one of
Lasells 26 residential buildings.
This leaves 26 percent of the
population to commuter students.

The above chart displays the various fees that
are applied to resident and commuter students.
(Photo courtesy of Lasell College)
I decided to commute to save
money so I can study abroad later,
said sophomore, Caitlin Redington.
According to Lasells
Undergraduate Tuition and Fees,
annually save and approximate
$12,950. This money is the cost
of either a standard double or
triple room,meal plan, and a
dorm damage deposit.
Students who reside on campus
are required to be registered
for a meal plan. If wanting to
live in a suite, it will raise the
annual price to $13,500.
Students who decide to
reside on campus have the
choice of 26 residential
buildings. This includes: three
conventional halls, three suite
style halls, five hotel style
buildings, or fifteen victorian
houses.
Each student has his or her
own reason for choosing to
commute or reside on campus.
Freshman Derek Curtin chose
to commute because of Lasells
location. The commute from
my house to the school is
within the train ride, he said.
I dont regret
commuting.
-Caitlin Redington,
Sophomore and commuter at Lasell
Commuters also save on
parking on campus. Residents
with cars pay $540 a year for a
parking permit, while
commuter students pay $100 a
year. Lasell requires that all
vehicles parked on campus be
registered with Public Safety.
Other miscellaneous fees
apart of residential finances
range from replacement room
keys, $50 a key. Additionally,
students who cannot travel
back home during vacations
students $200 a week.
One of the most popular
methods of transportation for
commuters is the MBTA.
The average cost for a ride
fare is $2.00. Jennifer Granger,
Director of Student Activities
started to implement an MBTA
semester pass this past
September.
The discounted price that is
offered to students is an 11
percent decrease than buying
monthly passes through the
MBTA.
For many commuters, living
off campus allows them to
maintain a job. I don't regret
commuting, I still think it is a
good decision I am saving money
and it is easier for me to work
and go to school, said Redington.

Butterworth, one of the residential halls.
(Photo by Holly Griffin)
Twenty-six percent of
students are commuters,
according to
commuters

Registrar Dianne Polizzi.
If not living at home, commuters
reside in an off campus apartment.
According to PadMapper, an
apartment search engine, there are
a surplus of apartments for rent in
the Brighton and Brookline area.
These apartments include two
bedrooms, one bathroom and range
from $100-$1,000.
Lasells convenient location
allows students to live
independently off campus and save
money while still being a short
distance away from the college.
The train ride gives
me time to reflect and
sleep.
- Derek Curtin,
Freshman and commuter at Lasell College
If not traveling by train,
commuters would be purchasing
gas for their vehicles. The average
cost of gasoline is $3.413, according
to Massachusetts Executive Office
of Energy and Environmental
Affairs.
Despite the price of gas many
students find commuting to be
cheaper.
I did not want to pay more for
school, said Curtin. The train
ride gives me time to reflect and
sleep.



must pay for break housing,
costing

Commuter parking spaces outside of
Winslow.(Photo by Holly Griffin)