College Students Forced to Cut Into Beer Money for iPhones

Remember when Duke University gave each member of its incoming class of freshmen in 2004 a brand new iPod pre-loaded with freshman-orientation information, an academic calendar and even the Duke fight songs? Well the University of Missouri School of Journalism doesn't seem to be so nice. They're requiring that every journalism major purchase an iPod Touch or an iPhone—on their own dime.

Even as a working adult, shelling out top dollar for nice gadgets isn't easy. If I were a student at the University of Missourri, especially one of the ones without significant financial aid awards, I'd imagine shelling out a couple hundred for a new iPod Touch could be near impossible.

Their foundation for this policy change comes from the idea that listening to lectures for a second time, students retain more information—true—and that the iPod Touch and iPhone are great learning tools for downloading the lectures and lesson plans that Mizzou will make available—also true.

It's a good idea at heart, but is it fair? The article on FoxNews.com with Associate Dean Brian S. Brooks is unsurprisingly shifty.

In the article, he admits that students could use their laptops (99.5 percent of Journalism students at Mizzou already own an Apple laptop) or another MP3-player (Like the Zune for die-hard Apple haters) to watch or listen to lectures. But, students with financial aid will be forced to include the price of a new iPod Touch on their needs statement. And confusingly, the article says that those without financial aid might have to conform to the requirement anyway, without explaining exactly why.

The best part of all of this? Dean Brooks seems to think this new plan is not going to cost his students anything ("'It's not going to cost them a cent,' he said" - FoxNews.com), mentioning the offer that Apple extends for a free iPod Touch when you buy a new Apple laptop.

We don't see higher education, we see a kick in the face to poor college students and PC-users everywhere. Providing digital media that integrates with students' courses is a great idea, but requiring them to have pricey, name-brand hardware to go with it is a little despicable to me. What do you think?

Via Switched.com

Comments (5)

This is just a technological extension of the book scam that has been going on at colleges for decades. Books that should have the words "For Dummies..." in the title are costing $150 new ($125 used) and at the end of the semester there is suddenly a new version that is not acceptable by the professors therefore the books can't be resold. I know tons of college grads that have a box somewhere of books they can't give away still in their basement somewhere.

My question: How much is Apple paying the school for this requirement?

Just dont buy it. Any mp3 player works for audio lectures.

I went to a design school that required you to buy a Mac laptop.

I already owned a PC laptop that ran the same software they required for some of the classes.

I basically told them that I'm paying YOU you go to school here, and if you dont like my platform choice then just bar me from going to class, buy me the stupid Apple laptop out of your own pocket, or dont cash my tuition check.

So yeah, I took the classes without any fuss. and did better grade wise than most of the other students.

Colleges "require" stuff like laptops or in this case iPhones because once it is "required" they can get grants, scholarships and financial aid to cover the cost of it.

But requiring an iPhone or iPod Touch is ridiculous.

This is ridiculous. Why can't they watch it on their computers? Better yet, just require them all to buy headphones so they can watch lectures on the library computers.
Besides who in college has time to go to the same class twice?

Professors and colleges frequently include materials like that under 'required' so that financial aid will cover it. What everyone here has failed to notice is that the professor usually comes in the first day and makes it clear that the materials aren't actually required and explains the policy.

It's a scam to screw the financial aid programs, not the students.