By Maxine Shapiro, KERA 90.1 business commentator
Dallas, TX – Boy, have we become a spoiled society. Businesses expect all kinds of special treatment when moving to a new locale. Executives who threaten to leave a company receive bigger and more lavish bonuses. And now, universities are joining the corporate world of allurement. I'm Maxine Shapiro with KERA Marketplace Midday.
When I went to college - I sound like my mother - I believe the biggest perk I received was a phone in my dorm room. Come to think of it, I don't think there was one there. Mind you, I did not go to an Ivy League school, but it's the universities "below the Ivies," experts say, which are battling for students.
The Wall Street Journal reports more and more colleges are enhancing their recruitment portfolio with a laundry list of perks - one of them being free laundry service. Or how about free cell phones, free cable television, and what student can't live without: a personalized birthday cake, delivered for $18. You'd have to go to Ohio University for that one. Some dorm rooms at O.U. are equipped with free computers, free printers and a free MicroFridge.
Northwestern can't get students by reputation alone. They have a new $400,000 Internet upgrade. Something every kid needs - to be able to watch cable TV on their computers. It's so sweet, students can watch up to ten channels at once. And it's a hit. One student happily shared she's able to watch Conan O'Brien and still do her homework on the same screen. A blessing!
The battlefield is big and prestigious. Emory, Duke, Boston, Cornell are just a few more universities that can be added to the list mentioned in the Journal report. So who's paying for all these perks? In some cases, you do. Cornell added about $250 onto its room and board for all the freebies.
I suspect the trend has changed and kids now expect the free goodies. When you're paying $20,000 plus for an education, a smoothie bar and free sports tickets is the least a school can do. For KERA Marketplace Midday, I'm Maxine Shapiro.
Marketplace Midday Reports air on KERA 90.1 Monday - Friday at 1:04 p.m. To contact Maxine Shapiro, please send emails to mshapiro@kera.org.
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