On Aug. 30, a large group of NYU activists published their annual disorientation guide. The lengthy report is cultivated by dozens of NYU student groups that focus on political reform and social justice on campus. This year’s guide focuses on numerous topics ranging from NYU’s disheartening environmental policies to the administration’s continued refusal to declare NYU a sanctuary campus. In addition, the guide calls out President Andrew Hamilton’s failure to make NYU more affordable, which is one of the most frustrating issues currently faced by NYU students.

As of 2014, an average American household makes between $42,000 to $125,000 annually. Despite this, NYU’s tuition for the 2017-2018 school year is $49,242, and this does not include the thousands more most students spend on housing, textbooks and food. Considering this, it does not come as a surprise that 62 percent of the student body comes from the top 20 percent income bracket in the United States, even though the university prides itself on diversity. Since President Hamilton took office, he has pledged time and time again to make NYU affordable, while still approving new expansion projects and extravagant dining halls.

President Hamilton has made tangible strides toward increasing affordability, and that must be recognized. Since his appointment, he has more than doubled financial aid. However, students need to be asking more questions: Why does NYU’s $3.6 billion endowment not extend financial aid to more students? What parts of the university’s budget are not directly bettering our education? Do we really need to expand our campus, or should we focus on what we already have?

With the new academic year comes renewed and bountiful opportunities for President Hamilton to make us proud and to fulfill his intentions to make NYU affordable. The Disorientation Guide brings up valid points about this continuing problem, but we also need to remember that work is being done behind the scenes. This administration should strive to collect the best and brightest from around the world, and that can only be done by increasing accessibility through affordability. Hopefully our bursar accounts will make us grimace a little less at the end of the year.

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