It’s hard to forget that Biola has a hefty sticker price. My.Biola never ceases to remind us when our next five-digit payment is due. Sarcastic comments about what students “deserve” in exchange for having to dish out $40,000 a year abound. They feel, however sardonically, that they should be allowed to longboard in exchange for the small fortune they pay yearly. Friends leave semester after semester because they simply cannot afford to stay at the school to which they felt called.

The administration knows this. In chapel on Monday, president Barry Corey cited affordability as one of Biola’s goals for the future, with steps being taken to significantly increase the scholarship fund. Our leaders espouse this goal — but current students will probably not receive the fruit from this push towards affordability.

So, with financial help being promised but not necessarily coming soon, current students cannot help but ask themselves: “Where does that leave me?”

The answer to this question might not come in the form of a simple answer, but rather through an experience. Look around. Biola is expanding quickly; it is a school nationally recognized for its academic excellence, athletic achievement, and spiritual fervor. These are all things that can’t be measured with a price tag.

When you invest in your college education, you are investing in your future. While this can sound like a catchphrase passed around by college admissions officers as they hope to secure tuition dollars from unsuspecting high school seniors, it's true. Each payment made to Biola is more than currency exchanged for lectures, homework, exams and grades.

With every check, you are placing your trust in Biola. You are trusting its ability to give you the skills you need for your vocation and its continued existence as a reputable institution in years to come. Biola is growing rapidly; while it is easy to look at a new building proposal as a potential tuition hike and construction hassle, there are positives to an expanding campus. As Biola continues to grow physically and academically, it will benefit us even after we leave.

Many who look at our degree will recognize the name and the excellence it represents. Our degrees’ value will not only last, but it will increase as our school continues to stand firm in its mission. While name recognition might not get you a job, it will help get your foot in the door. People will recognize that our education is founded on something firm.

In addition, the biblical foundation we receive will provide us with tools useful throughout our lives. Not only will the knowledge we gain help us in our occupations, especially those seeking vocations in ministry, but it will enrich our lives and allow us to be better disciples of God. There is nothing more worthy of our time, our energy — and, yes, our money — than these things.

This is not to say that we wouldn’t appreciate some help, or that there’s nothing wrong with student loan debt. Some of us will be reflecting on the cost and value of college every month for the next 10 years or longer, and that’s ominous. But even if we are among the last students to pay such a price, there will be little merit or solace in feeling like we missed out. We have an experience to take pride in, and an increasingly affordable and accessible alma mater will give us even more reason to be proud.