Each semester, each student is given 18 dollars on their ID card dedicated to only printing money. I repeat, ONLY printing money. So this means that if you do not use this designated 18 dollars, 36 dollars per year, it goes directly to waste. Maybe it will benefit some part of the school, but certainly not you.

Many will just say that 36 dollars is nothing, but those same people probably do not have to pay off loans or other daily costs. To me, and others, I could use that money for groceries, gas, or clothes. As a poor college student, every penny saved is vital.

Because I have my own printer, I rarely need to use the printers at the school. The only time I do is when I need to print large projects or use a lot of color. So by the end of the year I use approximately five out of the 36 dollars. This is such a waste and I feel like I can put this money to better use.

There are some simple solutions to this issue. For example, the money could be transferable. So the 36 dollars can be used for food, drinks, and laundry. The 18 dollars per semester should start out as Charger Cash— I’m unsure why it is even put in a separate account to begin with. The school could also just make the printing money an option. Since many students already own printers, they do not need to travel to the library. Just like having a meal plan, students could choose how much money they wish to have for printing money. Also, there are places on campus that offer free printing; so in reality, the designated printing money is a total waste. Sometimes, there are not even enough computers to print from!

It’s bad enough that we have to pay so much for low quality things; the meal plan, another issue of its own, is overly priced and all the food options are too. We need as much money as possible to go toward things that we actually use.

For those that do use up the 36 dollars, keep in mind there are free printing places and I am sure you can find someone with a printer. If this school expects a donation from us when we are alumni, then they better stop piling on our loans now.