By: Victoria Belway, SFU Student

I transferred to SFU in Fall 2020 from Douglas College, and this semester I had my first in-person class at SFU. It was exciting to have my first real-life university experience, until I discovered some flaws with SFU’s services — particularly, the cost of printing. 

My professor asked that we print something and bring it to class. I don’t have a printer at home, so I had to go to the library. At Douglas, students were given 240 pages of free printing each semester. I figured SFU would have a similar service, considering how much more expensive the tuition and student fees are, but we have to pay for every single page! Although it’s just a few cents each time, it adds unnecessary stress. Many students work and take out loans, yet struggle to pay pricey tuition. When students are going into debt to go to school, it is insulting that we have to pay extra to submit work or participate fully in class. 

Lack of access to printing puts working students at a disadvantage. They must take the time to go to the library to print, when they are already busy, then pay extra for pages they are required to bring to class. Students should be given at least 100 pages per semester for assignments, so they are not paying more just to submit their work. SFU needs to consider how the cost of printing affects students financially and emotionally.