USPS increases postage prices

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USPS increases postage prices
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The United States Postal Service permanently increased postage prices beginning Aug. 29, 2021, according to a statement made by the USPS.

The price increases differ depending on the type of mail as well as its weight, if applicable. Increases range from 2 cents to 16 cents. Only the cost of additional ounces on first class mail, single-piece letters remains unchanged. A more detailed breakdown of the price changes can be found online at: https://faq.usps.com/s/article/2021-Postage-Price-Changes.

Forever stamps have also risen in price, increasing from 55 cents to 58 cents.

The increase in prices is due to an initiative called “Delivering for America,” which the USPS says is a “10-year plan for achieving financial sustainability and service excellence.”

Hillsdale College senior Chloe Kersey is a postal center student supervisor in the college’s print and mail center. She said there are a number of reasons postage prices are continually increasing.

“The post office is a publicly owned, privately funded institution. It’s not funded by taxes which is why they sometimes have to increase their postage,” Kersey said. “For you to mail a letter with UPS or FedEx will cost you $20 or more most of the time. So even though a 5-cent increase is relatively significant, it is still significantly cheaper than going by the privatized route.”

Kersey said it is important USPS remains the most affordable mail service option for Americans.

“The post office is a right of the people in the Constitution,” Kersey said. “One of the roles of the post office is to provide the cheapest possible mail service to the American people.”