A popular rumor among college students is that if your roommate dies, you get free tuition.
The rumor is popular enough that it was the premise of several movies released in the late 1990s. However, concerning Ferris, there is no such policy concerning deceased roommates and the free tuition ensuing from that event.
“I’ve never heard about that before, and to be honest, it’s kind of absurd,” Ferris special education sophomore Grace Musselman said. “I don’t see why they should do something like that in that situation.”
According to Ferris’ Financial Aid and Housing departments, Ferris does not have a rule which gives free tuition to a student living on campus whose roommate has died. In addition, Ferris does not provide a student with a 4.0 grade point average should their roommate die, which is another facet of the popular rumor.
“I’ve always heard of that rumor where if someone gets hit by a bus or someone dies, the entire apartment gets straight A’s,” Ferris digital animation and game design junior Jesse Elliot said. “I don’t think they need to implement a policy like that. I think it’d put people in an awkward situation.”
However, should a student have a roommate pass away during their time studying at Ferris, the Counseling Center is available to assist should the student wish to use them.
The rumor was popular enough in the U.S. that it led to the creation of two movies, “Dead Man on Campus” and “The Curve,” both released in 1998. Since then, universities such as Columbia University have written articles about whether or not a student gets free tuition or automatic 4.0 grade point average after a roommate’s passing, and the answer is a resounding “no.”
“It’s pretty weird really, and I can un- derstand why people would speculate that it’s true,” Ferris video game and animation senior Brandon Jobson said.
“I’m half and half on whether Ferris should do something like that. I think it benefits the student if that happens but, then again, stuff happens.”