We, the undersigned, call on President Brad Mortensen to cancel late fees on tuition payments at Weber State University. In the United States, those with lower incomes often end up paying disproportionately more on basic needs and necessities than those with higher incomes. This is due to things such as higher interest rates, the high cost of rent, less access to preventative healthcare, and late fees.

Late fees, in practice, serve as a punishment for financial misfortune which students have experienced due to the recent economic conditions brought about by the covid-19 pandemic. Jobs which many students depended on for rent, necessities, and tuition were forced to shut down or became unavailable, throwing students into financial uncertainty.

No student at Weber State University would choose to miss a payment if they didn’t have to. Students shouldn’t be punished for falling into financial misfortune due to job losses, health emergencies, etc. We call on President Brad Mortensen and Weber State University to trust its students and cancel late fees on tuition payments.