Parents and Alumni will have to pay a fee for the chance to visit their student and to attend the university’s events for the annual Bobcat Weekend on Oct. 29 to 31.

For families more than four, the price could range from $50 to $100. Although the charges may come as a surprise to the parents, alumni and students, the Associate Vice President of University Events and Partnership Karla Natale says families were charged for the event in the past.

“We have charged in the past,” Natale said. “One event might be $10 and for another event, it might be $20 so what we have done this year is just streamlined that into one upfront cost, and we are asking everyone to pay when they register.”

Due to COVID-19, Quinnipiac could not host Bobcat Weekend, but it is back this year, with new activities. The activities consist of hockey games, cookouts on the quad, a Halloween picnic and so much more.

While some students are looking forward to seeing their families, Amanda Arroyo, a first-year in the 3+1 molecular and cell biology and biochemistry program, was interested in parents weekend before finding out about the fees.

“My dad is in Rhode Island, but I have family in New Haven so it would be nice to get my family to come over to Quinnipiac,” Arroyo said.

However, after being informed that families will have to pay a fee to attend Bobcat Weekend, Arroyo was devastated for students’ families who may not have the money to attend the event.

“My thoughts on them making people pay to spend time with their students, I think that it’s unfair,” Arroyo said. “I know that there are probably people who are not able to afford that…so I feel as though that would be unfair to them.”

While students are upset with the sudden charge to attend Bobcat Weekend, third-year nursing major Karenna Downs understands the university is trying to compensate for the money lost last year.

“I understand that they’re trying to make money especially after COVID-19 and everything but I think it’s kind of strange to charge parents to be on campus,” Downs said.

Although Downs believes it’s unjust to charge families and alumni, Downs is excited to see her Quinnipiac alumni parents that weekend.

“My parents are actually alumni here, which is super exciting so it’s kind of a combined family and parents weekend but also alumni weekend,” Downs said. “So they will be here the whole weekend, and I’m super excited to see them.”

Gillian Austin, a third-year marketing major, says that her family participated in parents’ weekend her freshman year in 2019, in which they attended all the events the University had planned.

“It was really cool, there were so many events, and my family loved it,” Austin said. “I haven’t talked to them about it, but I probably will ask them to come because it’s just fun to see my parents.”

Even if the price plays a major role in Bobcat Weekend for certain families, Austin expresses that the price to pay could be worth it considering the events they had her freshman year.

“I think depending on what they had there, that would depend on how much we’d be willing to pay,” Austin said. “But I think because of how much there was last time, I think $50 would be a good price.”

Despite the mixed feelings from students on campus, Natale says it’s important for families to attend Bobcat Weekend because it’s a great experience to see a day in the life of their students on campus.

“We invite the parents and families to come and just see what Quinnipiac is all about as a working campus with the life and things happening,” Natale said. “Since last year, we were not able to do that, we want to embrace that we are able to invite guests and families in and see what it’s all about.”

For additional information about the events taking place for Bobcat Weekend, the university is still accepting registrations from parents and alumni.

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