Laser it!

Disabled students should not have to pay for a

required single room
By: Ariana Perez De Alderete

This cartoon shows how unfair the additional living fee when having a single room when some need it, and others
want it.
Cartoon Drawn by: Ariana Perez De Alderete
Disabled or handicapped students at Lasell College often require a single room. Students
who get a single room have to pay an additional 700 dollars in their tuition. It is morally and
ethically wrong that students with disabilities have to pay the additional the additional costs for a
single room. Students that do not require a single room but request one so they do not have to
live with a roommate, often have access to the extra funds to pay the additional fee. It is a
necessity for a disabled student to have a single room, not a choice. Medical reasons to have a
single room should allow the fee to be waived.
College students are never excited about having to share a room with someone. But more
often than not, it is not a choice. Most students do not have the access to the funds to be able to
pay the additional living fee for a single room to avoid living with someone. In some cases,
students do have access to additional money. So those students can live alone because they have
that luxury. In this case, the additional money is acceptable to charge a student, because they
have the choice of having a single room or not. Room and board costs are the same prices for
those who have a roommate. Having a single room is a conscious choice, recognizing they can
spend the additional money.
Disabled students often do not request a single room due to stubbornness or comfort.
Disabled students often need a single room due to their medical issues. In this case, having a
single room is not an option. When a disabled student needs a single room, it is because students
that have any type of handicap often do things differently than those who do not have a handicap.
The way they do things and the way they live is different than others. It is a necessity and a
priority for disabled students to have a single room.
Some view having a single room as a luxury, and it often is. But students who do not
have a choice in the matter, should not have to pay the additional fee. A student who requires a
single room due to medical reasons should have the fee waived by the College. We should be
able to allow students who require a single room to have one. They should not have the burden
of having to pay extra for something they require.
Understanding that the College cannot give away single rooms to anyone who can
convince their doctor to give them a note. It is easy for someone to get their doctor write them a
note for something they do not need. But students who actually require a single room due to
either physical or mental handicaps should be accommodated. Some people that require a single
room do not have the funds to pay the extra fee. The College should not give everyone with a
note from their doctor a single room for free unless their issue is accurate and truthful.
In most cases, students who request a single room do it out of choice, not a necessity.
Students who have access to the additional 700 dollar funds to get a single room should be
allowed to do so. But students who have no choice in the matter, should not be required to pay
the same amount of money as someone who had a choice. Disabled students should have their
additional dorming fee waived by Lasell College. Medical necessity should excuse any fees for a
single room.