Students Angry After University Pays $32K for Snooki to Speak on Campus

Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi

Being a reality star is apparently worth more than being a Nobel-prize winning author.

And not all Rutgers University students are happy about that.

The university’s programming association booked MTV star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi to appear at the Livingston Student Center in Piscataway, NJ for two question and answer sessions.

The price tag was a whopping $32,000, $2,000 more than the university paid for Nobel-prize winning author Toni Morrison.

(Morrison’s fee was the first time the university has paid for a commencement speaker, the Star Ledger reported.)

University spokesman E.J. Miranda tells FOX411 that Snooki was paid for entirely by student fees and not from university or state funding.

“The student programming board gets feedback from the students about which kinds of people they would like to have come and speak at the university for entertainment purposes,” Miranda said. “The decision is made by the students.”

But not all the students were thrilled with the decision.

“As an RU student, I’m really ashamed,” one student tweeted.

“My alma mater. You have brought SHAME to my family,” a former student tweeted Friday.

“My tuition dollars wasted on Snooki. Rutgers probably could have paid her with a case of beer,” another student wrote.

“We’re talking about two different programs here,” Miranda said regarding Morrison vs. Snooki. “Rutgers has educational programs and entertainment programs. This was the students’ choice of who they wanted to entertain them.”

According to Miranda, both of Snooki’s appearances were a success.

The Star Ledger reports that both sessions of “Inside the Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi Studio,” where she was interviewed by comedian Adam Ace, were sold out before the March 31 event opened its doors.

Students lined up all afternoon to secure wristbands for attendance. The $32,000 also covered Ace’s appearance as well.

Snooki offered advice to students in the session, telling them “study hard, but party harder.”