With the semester in full swing, ISU seniors are hard at work maintaining their GPAs, building their résumés and trying to secure that first job out in the real world. Amid all the busy work that is put into classes, career fairs and job interviews, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but graduation is still quickly approaching.

The thrill of walking across the stage in front of your peers and family, and knowing that your formal education may finally be at its conclusion is an unrivaled thrill. Consider the countless hours invested in your learning, then consider the extremely countable — if you haven’t been counting your loans and debts — then rest assured that the university has the number of dollars you spent to get to that graduation ceremony.

Considering the fact that 65 percent of ISU students graduated with debt in 2014 and that Iowa State comes in first for all regent universities in Iowa in terms of highest student debt, that diploma you are being handed obviously represents a significant investment.

So why do students have to pay the university another $75 just for the privilege of being given what they have already earned after four — if not more — years of hard work?

The cost may seem negligible in comparison to the tens of thousands of dollars already given to the university, but the final cost to graduate seems almost insulting as students are charged just one more time as they are almost literally walking out the door.

Additionally, the fee is non-refundable. So if a student pays for graduation registration and then is unable to graduate, the student loses the money and must pay a second time, or however many time it takes, in order to graduate.

We all know what the costs are of gaining higher education in this country, but particularly at Iowa State — the sixth-highest ranked university in most student debt — where any trivial additions to the total cost of our education is significant.

According to the Office of the Registrar, “the fee partially covers the cost of such items as the commencement ceremony and program, diplomas and covers, postage and mailing costs of diplomas not distributed at commencement, and final audit of degree completion.” These costs must be met and no one expects the university to foot the bill, but wouldn’t it be less frustrating to spread the bill for the total number of students scheduled to graduate across the rest of the student population?

Were that the case, the cost per student would in fact be truly meaningless in the scheme of tuition and other payments. Most importantly, our seniors would be spared the final insult of paying for an honor they have already earned.