For an institution of higher education to charge students differently for the same course is not only discriminatory, but also highly unethical.
But public universities have been doing just that -- running Masters and professional courses in the evening, with the same faculty and facilities, charging fees as high as a staggering 42 times the regular amount.
What are these evening classes if not quick money-making schemes, that go against the principles public universities claim to stand for?
Furthermore, the faculty teaching these expensive evening classes are certainly profiting from the use of public property and assets, which is entirely unjustifiable.
While some have claimed that these more expensive degrees help fund departments and provide better facilities for students, why should one group of students pay more than the other?
It is a question of legality and ethics that fees are equalized.
Options are important, and evening classes are not problematic per se -- they could very well play an important role in our society; for example, they could be useful to busy professionals who have no other ways to continue their education.
Ultimately, universities have the right to raise fees if necessary in order to cover their costs, but those costs should be extracted from students equally, or from none at all.
