Editorials / Opinion

I still remember my University of Washington student number: 7124795. The “71” refers to the year I entered: 1971. I got a bachelor’s degree in Business in 1979 and an M.B.A. in 1981. During my entire course of undergraduate work, tuition never increased. It was $288 a quarter for in-state students. I had a studio apartment in the University District for $96 a month.

By 1976, I was living in a one-bedroom apartment in Wallingford for $130 a month. I had been working for a couple of years and decided to go back to school in 1976. My firm laid me off so I could collect unemployment. I was able to live in my $130-a-month apartment and go to the UW on what I got from unemployment.

Back then, we were able to get a good education without incurring thousands — or hundreds of thousands — worth of debt. It saddens me when I read articles like “Rent hikes magnify high cost of a UW education” [Local News, Sept. 6]. The days of being able to put yourself through school are clearly eroding away.

Michele Garrigues, Issaquah