The date of Pace University’s Westchester campus commencement ceremony is fast approaching. On the morning of Wednesday, May 16, the hard work and dedication of the senior class will finally pay off for them as they receive their degrees in the Ann and Alfred Goldstein Health, Fitness, and Recreation Center on the Pleasantville campus.

Students who are walking at graduation are required to pay a high price to rent their attire for a mere two-hour ceremony. The prices of the required hood and gown differ based on the level of degree each student is receiving.

For students receiving an Associates degree, they must pay $84.55. The attire costs $91.35 for a student graduating with a Bachelors degree and $95.90 for a Masters. The price takes a jump over $30 to $130.45 for students graduating with a Doctoral degree.

Not only are students with a more prestigious degree being punished by the requirement to pay more for their hood and gown, but the only difference between these outfits are the color of the hoods. All the gowns are black.

According to a graduating Pace senior, who wishes to remain unnamed, “Paying for caps is unfair. I don’t think it’s reasonable because we already have so many expenses as college students.”

Some of the expenses that Pace University requires of students include: a meal plan for the first two years, the One Card, and a yearly housing deposit.

Although students are permitted to keep the black tassel and cap, this does not make up for the high price for an outfit that must be returned immediately after the ceremony. There is also a late fee of $20 that is enforced if students did not make the payment on time.

With six months before student loan payments start up for graduating seniors, there are other ways they may want to use that money. They could want to start saving with that money spent on an outfit that will only be worn for two hours of their lives. Students who wish to attend graduate school could be using that money towards application fees and students living on their own for the first time could be using that money as part of a down payment for an apartment.

Is it worth it to pay all that money for an aesthetic-looking ceremony? Shouldn’t it be more about the accomplishment of these students who took an active step into making their future successful?