We frequently hear the word, ‘An age of registration fee 10 million won.’ As you know, registration fee is burden for college student. However, registration fee is not the only problem. Skyrocketing prices on the campus are another burden to college student.

Chung Yong-hoon (Department of Law, sophomore) is shocked because of rapidly rising school fees. He entered the department of of Law of CAU in 2005. After he served military service for two years, he reinstated this year. A few days ago, he visited a restaurant in Chung-Ang University Medical Center with his junior in school. He was astonished and shocked by the food prices after seeing the menu. Noodle price advances 3,500 to 5,000 compared to the prices in 2005. A markup of noodle prices including other foodstuffs went by 1500won during the past three years. Food prices of restaurants around campus are no longer moderate or plentiful amount. Without a price advance on foodstuffs, the quality of food will be dropped or the quantity will be minimized. For example, when I was a freshman, we ate ddukbboggi(떡볶이) (a broiled dish of sliced rice cake, meat, eggs, seasoning) and fried dish with 3,000 won on a cover cart bar near by the campus. However, we have to pay extra 2000 won to get the same amount of food as we got in the past time.
In no time, fish-shaped buns are three per 1000 won. Recently, he works a part time job in CAU Burger because he feels sorry for his parents for receiving an allowance. He stated that the number of students coming to CAU Burger has greatly increased compared to that of the last year.  As college students are stressed out to pay for their lunch around the campus, thus they have decided to suffice their starvations with cheap CAU burgers.
We can easily realize that the prices around campus have increased. For instance, a cup of fresh fruit juice, which is sold at a coffee & beverage take-out shop nearby Main Gate, went up from 1,000 won to 1,500 won. The price of Kimbob(김밥) (rice rolled in dried laver) has also rose by 500 won along with the price of Jajangmyeon. There are absolutely no more ‘cheap food’ around the campus anymore.
The impact of a markup of food around campus is serious as the most college students receive allowances from their parents. Lately Hankook Research and Internet newspaper ‘Naeilshot(대학내일)’ polled 1,017 college students regarding their allowances. As a result, 75 percents of respondents are financially supported by their parents. The rest of 46 percent people stated that they earn the money they spend.
Regarding allowances they receive from their parents, 58 percents of respondents answered that they feel very sorry to receive allowances, but, there is no way for them to earn themselves as a college student. The average amount of allowances the students receive per month is around 380,000 won. However, if their parents cannot financially support them due to their needy circumstances, the students need to do excessive part time jobs to feed themselves. College students are afflicted with double whammy, employment and excessive part time job.

Increased prices around the campus are also worsening the situation for parents. Jung Kyung-won (The President of Korea Post) has two college student daughters. He gives his daughters allowances at anytime they ask for it. It is because his daughters earn themselves through teaching and that means they are financially independent in some ways. He argued that the number of times giving allowances to their daughters has become very frequent in these days. “After this semester begins, my daughter said that price around campus is crazily going up above all. A few months ago, if she had only a thousand won, she could have bought a pack of Kimbob and take care her meal. However, Kimbob prices are advanceds about 100 or 200 won for a pack, and she is grumbling about carrying copper coins. Even a price of bread in the college market has risens, so she feels expensiveness of prices. As she is not able to skip lunch every day, she tries to save expenditure on text books. I see her getting text books from her seniors or looking for text books in used market.” Frankly speaking, two daughters’ allowances are heavy bundle for him in addition to his daughters’ registration fee. However, he does not want her his daughters to flinch due to money. Therefore,, he tries to give daughters more money than they ask. He is sorry for his daughters to give not enough money and is he thinks their efforts are praiseworthy to earn their allowance.
  While college students are startled at the inflation around campus, restaurant’s owners also give sorrowful sigh. The owner of Gomdoori cafeteria, located under the Student Culture Hall, said that prices advance of food menus are an inevitable management. “First of all, rice, household gas, cafeteria rent fee and labor costs are going up comparing last year. Until last month, the sales of Gomdoori were seven million won and it was a deficit management. Therefore, we mark up some kinds of menu. When it comes to a bowl of rice with beef, it rose 1,000 won. It was main reason of a deficit operation.” When Chung-Ang Herald (CAH) asked her about reaction of college students about a price advanced menu, she answered gloomy. “The number of college students who use Gomdoori cafeteria decreased remarkably. Since we raise price of menu, Human Rights & welfare Committee visited here and the Chungdae Sinmun interviewed with us. I think that this is sensitive problem, because it is foodstuffs which are seriously related with college students’ lives. We regret that we could not provide inexpensive and tastes good meal. But we can not maintain price freezing which will bring deficit operation.”

Although prices around campus are advanced, college students still do not stand anything to do. As students face expensive prices, they strive to find money saving life. One of the methods which most college students to do is that to write a housekeeping account book.

TIP

CAH: Please explain about ‘The Academy Price.’
Hong: Because ‘University News Network’ (한국대학신문) (UNN) and ‘Campus Life’ want to help college students for hardship, we operate new program ‘The Academy Price.’ The Academy Price is a distribution system as utility cooperative. We persuade business corporations which provide helpful product for students like notebooks, digital cameras, and electric dictionaries. We supply them under the prime cost. UNN thinks that college students are not spending objects, but the subjects who should be supported and protected for better lives. The Academy Price will offer economical price for student to purchase product and will promote their product image for business corporations.

CAH: How do you know that consumers are students?
Hong: When you join the membership of Campus Life, we divide you into college students or not. If you want to be identified as a college student, you put your college name and student ID number. After you are authorized, you can settle accounts and search the lowest price products.

CAH: How much is it cheaper than other general shopping mall?
Hong: In terms of Nikon’s digital camera (D60), we provide it about 700 thousand won including lens and other free gifts. However, if you want to buy it at other shopping mall, you should pay at least 800 thousand won. Actually, if you search the minimum price of each product, you can easily learn that The Academy Price’s goods are cheaper.

CAH: How many students use The Academy Price? And how big is the business?
Hong: Since we opened on-line and off-line business on March 10th, everyday a lot of students use our shopping mall. As the total sales of first day are five million won, we renew the sales everyday. The Academy Price’s is popular through moccasin telegraph.