Usually, college graduations happen during the end of the second semester or during summer. However, some universities with trimester programs graduate some of their students at the end of the first semester of the year.
We have a kid who is graduating this week and he has a cousin also who is in the same boat. And, my God! Looking at the fees they had to pay were mind boggling, to say the least. After all the expenses they had been incurring throughout the semesters and then these at the tail end? I could not help but mutter, great exploitation! For as if they timed the payment of such when parents were just too happy to see their kids finally exit university. At last, they were done with periodic disbursements of hard-earned cash for tuition fees over the many semesters their kids went through.
But then again, education, especially the private kind has become big business. Lucky were those who were admitted by public schools or State Universities and Colleges.
But then again graduations are supposed to be happy moments and we should not let fees deprive parents who can financially afford the celebration of such in a lavish way. Sure, but there should be an option to the least fortunate ones who had to mortgage every asset they had just to see their kid or kids finish college. Some consideration should be accorded them. Graduation fees should be very minimal as, for all we know, the parents might have accumulated too much debts already that will burden them for so many years to come.
After all, education like so many other expensive human endeavor should be dispensed with a heart.**