Over 1,000 students at New York City’s Columbia University are withholding this semester’s tuition payments, demanding a 10 p.c decrease in tuition and a 10 p.c increase in monetary aid for learners burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The strike, which was structured by the Columbia chapter of the Youthful Democratic Socialists of The usa, started in December when in excess of 3,000 learners signed a petition that the university student group circulated on the internet. The strike formally commenced past Friday — the day tuition checks were being officially because of.

In a statement on the group’s site, titled “We’re Putting Because We Know Our Record,” organizers cite “past student-actions at Columbia” — which include 1968 anti-Vietnam War protests and a range of pupil-led social justice actions that took root throughout the 2010s — as inspiration for the present tuition strike.

“These protests had prolonged-lasting consequences on Columbia but, most importantly, they confirmed who actually retains power on school campuses: college students,” the statement reads.

The college students are also demanding that Columbia use some of its $11 billion endowment to relieve the economic burden the pandemic has positioned on them.

College figures show Columbia tuition for the 2020-2021 educational calendar year is pretty much $59,000, and undergraduate students complete on common with pretty much $22,000 in student financial debt, according to US Information and Planet Report.

In a tweet, the Columbia YDSA Tuition Strike account pointed out that the school also employs Lee Bollinger, the second-optimum paid out president in the Ivy League, who has not taken a pay back reduce due to the fact the beginning of the pandemic.

In addition to the tuition needs, strike organizers have also termed for a range of social justice and local weather improve reforms, such as a divestment from fossil gas companies, negotiations with student-employee unions, and a halt to development on the school’s new Manhattanville campus to halt the gentrification of the Harlem spot.

Organizers are also demanding administrators honor the success of a referendum handed last year and divest from companies included with human rights abuses in Palestine.

In a assertion to Fox Information, Columbia contended that it experienced by now made pandemic-similar modifications to the university’s tuition technique, and that it welcomes all input from college students on how to “strengthen” the University.

“In response to the COVID-19 disaster, the College modified its late cost plan in March of 2020 and suspended all late expenses until January 2021,” a spokesperson for Columbia College claimed Thursday.

“As communicated earlier, commencing on January 22, 2021, a late payment fee of $150 will be assessed for any unpaid prices remaining from payments issued just before and on December 18, 2020.

“This is a second when an energetic reappraisal of the status quo is understandable, and we assume very little considerably less from our students. Their voices are read by Columbia’s management, and their sights on strengthening the University are welcomed.”



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