Students who use the copiers and printers on campus should pay for the services rendered because maintenance and materials such as paper and ink cost money.
The charge of printing and making copies does not have to be outrageous, since we are students who already pay fees for practically everything on campus. A fee of 5 to 10 cents per page is reasonable, considering the higher amounts of money students are charged for other campus services.
Sure, some students would prefer to not be charged, and would find having to pay, more of a hassle.
However, local office supplies stores charge customers for copies, at a higher price than Pierce. Money collected from students using the machines should go towards replenishing ink, toner and paper, and funding expensive maintenance repairs.
By having students pay a small fee such as the current charge of 10 cents per page, the school is compensated for the service, and it also helps the school pay for materials and repairs. Given that these machines are popularly used, the amount of change that is charged, will add up to a decent amount over time.
The printers on campus, in the library and in the copy tech room, are used daily by students and faculty to make copies of worksheets, and for printing essays for class.
It is convenient to have printing and copying services on campus, therefore many individuals choose to use the machines.
Repairs for the large copy machines are expensive, and because the machines are constantly used, paying to make copies should be expected. Paper, ink and toner are also costly, considering how much is used for printing and copying.
As much as students use these services, it could benefit them to pay the small fee because the money goes towards maintaining the equipment, and supplying paper and ink. There is a significant amount of paper and ink used for the machines.
Pierce has over 20,000 students, sure not all of them use the machines, but a large portion of students do. If we did not charge students to print or copy, then we would have extremely limited resources provided to us.
Students would probably start overusing the machines, which could lead to more repairs and a lack of paper and ink.
Charging students for using the equipment shouldn’t be viewed as another way to stick it to them. Instead, it is a way for students and the institution to ensure these resources remain available to everyone.
If students dislike carrying spare change around with them, the library copy tech stations allow them to keep an account with money for future printing. In the library, students can deposit money into the pay machine located next to the printers. There is no limit to how much money they can save on their account.
Students who go off-campus to an office supply store to print and copy, are charged 11 to 15 cents for a single black and white copy. For a single color copy at these stores, the cost ranges from 59 to 75 cents. The convenience of copying and printing at Pierce, seems to be affordable too.