You may think a $50 graduation fee is a lot, but aviation science students in Parks College of Engineering Aviation and Technology know better.

This past week, they were told they would have to pay Saint Louis University an additional $3,500-not for a one-time graduation fee-but every year until they graduate.

Much like the graduation fee, this surcharge was believed to be nothing but a rumor a few months ago.

In fact, Bjong Wolf Yeigh, Ph.D., Dean of Parks College, denied that the fee was any more than a rumor in an e-mail to aviation students, quoted in a U. News article published March 3, 2005.

"I ask that you await further written communication from me rather than listening to SLUmors which have no basis in fact," he said.

No basis in fact?

Hardly. Just a month and a half later, aviation science students opened their mailboxes to receive the happy news that they'd have to pick up the slack and help cover the "dramatic increases in fuel, insurance, maintenance and other costs."

The letter was, of course, signed by Yeigh himself.

While Yeigh did admit, at the time of his e-mail, that the fee suspension that had been in effect since the college's move to Saint Louis University in 1997 was never meant to be permanent-and that a fee was just one of many possible funding sources being considered by the University-the fact that Yeigh was not more up front with students when he knew that a large increase in flight fees was a very distinct possibility seems a bit dishonest.

While the considerable fees aviation students will now be charged are some of the the lowest among similarly ranked, top-tier flight schools across the nation, it's unfortunate that the students, who previously enjoyed a relatively inexpensive education, have to foot the bill.

It seems this increase in flight fees is just the latest in a series of events orchestrated by the administration to nickel-and-dime (and in this case, quarter) students all the way to the poorhouse. After all, this is the second time in two weeks students at SLU have been asked to cough up more money than they already pay for charges they thought were taken care of by tuition.

Speaking of tuition, the bill that the flight students now have to cover was previously paid by tuition dollars from all students, in all departments of the University.

Now that aviation students will be coughing up an extra $3,500 a year each, does that mean everyone else's tuition will go down?

We didn't think so.