Bates College announced on May 29 that laundry services will now be free for all students, following a sustained effort by student advocates to remove the $3 per load fee previously charged on campus.
The initiative began when Trinity Monstwillo, a politics major from Oregon, noticed another student hand-washing clothes to avoid the cost of using campus laundry machines. Monstwillo said, “It made me sad that he was hand-washing his clothes.” She questioned why Bates did not offer free laundry, especially for students receiving financial aid. Teaming up with Aleisha Martinez Sandoval of Mexico City, the two started researching the issue and eventually created a proposal which they presented to senior leadership. Initially, their request was declined due to existing contracts with a third-party provider.
Momentum grew as more students shared similar concerns. Mohammad Zayd from the Bronx and Zachariah Richards of Princeton joined Monstwillo and Martinez Sandoval in further research and advocacy efforts. The group’s revised proposal outlined three possible options: free laundry for those with an estimated family contribution under $15,000; free laundry for Pell Grant-eligible or similarly situated international students; and free laundry for those on full aid. Ultimately, college leaders approved universal free laundry access.
Rosanna Ferro, vice president for student affairs at Bates College, said, “This milestone is the result of a great collaborative effort with our student government leaders, whose dedication and partnership were instrumental in making this a reality. It presents a wonderful opportunity for us to remove a practical daily barrier and continue building a more supportive campus environment where every Bobcat can thrive.”
Student government co-president Richards said, “Free laundry matters because it addresses a fundamental need of all students… The price of laundry services has long been among the hidden costs of life at Bates.” Zayd added, “I’m really proud of my assembly and the executive board… I think it’s going to be a very beneficial thing for all of us.”
Reflecting on their experience as they prepared to graduate, Martinez Sandoval noted, “Something that I will definitely take with me is the ability to communicate with different groups of people for a shared common purpose,” while Richards said, “Seeing Bates make this change shows that the college’s leaders follow up their words with actions… The process highlighted what a collaborative place Bates is and how sincerely faculty and staff seek to elevate student voices.”
