By Evan Anderson, The Whetstone
Wesley College Sophomore Hasan Leonard-Hakim struggled to find parking on campus his first day back to school this August.
“I was driving and trying to park in lot D with a big truck in front of me,” he said. “Someone took his parking spot, so he reversed and the metal hook on the back of his car hit the bumper of my car because the lot was so small and tight. I was so mad that day.”
Many students at Wesley College say that Wesley College’s $50 fee for parking costs too much.
Sophomore Emily Kinsey said the parking permits are too much because of tuition.
“I guess they want to weed out the people who really want to have their car here or not,†she said.
According to Wesley’s website, this year’s tuition costs students $25,646, or $12,823 each semester. Last year, tuition cost $23,150, or $11,575 each semester, a 10 percent increase.
Parking permits at Wesley College for students cost $50 for two semesters to park in four different lots, A, B, C, and D. Students can buy parking permits at the front desk of the security office.
There are 486 parking spots provided for students with parking permits on campus, said Security Chief Walt Beaupre. This year, only 449 students are registered for parking permits, including commuters. Students also have the availability to park on the roads around campus.
Delaware State University’s parking permits cost $70 each semester.
Evan Anderson Parking Lot C is located behind Malmberg and Zimmerman Hall
“Wesley knows the struggle of a college student,” Hasan said. “They charge us for laundry and the Den, but they know we are all low on money.”
Laundry costs $1.50 for each load to wash and another $1.50 for each load to dry. Den points are extra money a student may put on his card to use only for food at the College Center.
Some students believe $50 is fair.
Sophomore Tamir Banks thinks that the cost of the parking permit makes up for how long you have it for.
“The school charges this much because they want to see who really wants to have their car on campus,” he said.
Out of all the colleges in the state of Delaware, Wesley College has the cheapest parking permits available for students.
