After paying thousands of dollars to live in the dorms, you might be surprised to find out that ULM charges residents $1.25 per machine to use a washer or dryer. While that might not be much, it quickly adds up if you must use several machines .

Paying to use a washer and dryer is not a brand-new concept. In fact, it is not something that is unique to colleges either. However, my friends who attend the University of New Orleans and Loyola reported that their laundry services are free.

If the university provided with quality machines, then the price would make sense . Unfortunately, the utilities we get are subpar. The washers carry small loads, and it can take multiple cycles to get your clothes completely dry. Paying to do laundry is already frustrating, but having to pay twice for the dryer to fully do its job is outrageous.

Sophomore pre-pharmacy major Lynn Langlinais points out the disparity between the cost and the quality.

“I’m fine paying for laundry; I just don’t like how much it costs. If it were a larger machine, I would understand the price, but they are not that big,” said Langlinais.

Even the paying process can be tricky. For students to pay for their laundry, they either need access to quarters, or pay through the Speed Queen app. Accessing quarters is nearly impossible on campus, and Speed Queen tends to go offline often.

There are alternatives to having to go through this process or paying in general. Students can wait until they go home to do their laundry, but that might not be an option for many. While off-campus laundromats are also an option, it is pointless since you would still have to pay. Though, at least they have reliable machines.

$1.25 is more than what students should be paying for laundry, considering what we already pay for school. If ULM expects students to pay, then they should consider lowering the price to reflect the quality of the machines. If they decide to keep the price as it is, then they should update the machines to match that.