FYI: Programs for freshmen with low(er) number of credits

[unsinkable]

This might not apply to everyone but it could be worth looking into.

 

I read about this program at my DS's private college. If a freshman has less than 30 credit hours (or 28 if in sciences), they have a program that gives a 2/3s tuition reduction for summer tuition PLUS free summer housing.

 

This is just for students at his college but it might be worth looking into at your kid's college if it is an issue.

[TechWife]

That's interesting. I can see how it would be a big money saver for some students. 

 

One thing I don't like about my son's university is that prior to 12 hours, student tuition based on the number of hours taken (there are three brackets before 12 hours). Starting with 12 hours and up, the fee is the same. It seems very arbitrary to me. My son will be taking a reduced load due to some learning difficulties and so will take 12 hours at a time. However, someone who takes 18 hours will pay the exact same amount of tuition that we will. When I was in college, we paid by the hour (you know, back in the olden days). We would rather have our son work slowly and turn in quality work than work quickly just to get a degree. To us, though, college isn't just about a degree, it's about an education. That may be the difference. The price break could be there to encourage people to take enough courses to get a degree, versus an education. There is a big push in our state to have universities push their students to "finish in four" - I don't know anything about the reasoning behind that campaign, though. 

 

 

[Teachin'Mine]

I think the push to finish in four is because most families plan their finances for four years of college.  When a student doesn't finish in four, they may have no option but to drop out if they can't afford additional semesters.  Your approach is a great one educationally, but unfortunately not practical for all families. 

 

 

[bettyandbob]

I didn't pay by the credit when I was in college. A full time student was 12 credits. I always took over 12 credits so there was a set fee. less than 12 credits there was  fee for each credit hour. This was also true for my brother and sister who attended different schools in the same state.

 

The local cc doesn't do the full time fee. You pay by the credit hour for every single credit.

 

Some schools in my state are pushing out in 4, but not all. I know someone with dyslexia who has limited her credits to 12-14 a semester. I think her first 4 semesters she took 12. She also took summer school classes. She will finish in 4.5 years. No, she did not take as many credits as the flat full time tuition permitted, but it would have a been a big waste of money if she did and ended up flunking out because the workload did not match her learning style.

[Annie G]

Dd's school limits students to 33 credit hours a year and additional hours are charged. We knew that going in, and didn't think much of it- until this term when she needed 2 additional hours to graduate. So she signed up, took the credits, and we figured we'd get charged per credit hour over- so the yearly cost of full time tuition divided by 33 is what we thought an overload credit would cost. Nope. They charge the part time rate, which is higher than the full time rate.   So overload hours cost more- hundreds more per credit. Weird.   

 

I like schools that don't charge extra for hours over a certain number but I can understand TechMom feeling bummed!  I also wonder if schools that don't charge extra for those additional classes see a higher number of classes dropped - are students signing up and then dropping whatever class is the most difficult? 

 

 

[unsinkable]

I think the push to finish in four is because most families plan their finances for four years of college. When a student doesn't finish in four, they may have no option but to drop out if they can't afford additional semesters. Your approach is a great one educationally, but unfortunately not practical for all families.

I agree. The list price for this college is over $30,000/year.

 

If the college can help kids get back on track to graduate is 4 years, it benefits the kids and the college's statistics.

[hornblower]

wow, your system is so different.
 

We pay by the credit almost everywhere. (I can only think of one tiny new private university where that's not so.) Many people take more than 4 years to finish a bachelor's degree. Many schools have summer terms though & you can go a bit faster if you want to take extra courses in the summer. Some limited enrollment cohort programs (like nursing for ex) require everyone to move at the same pace but open enrollment programs you can adjust your schedule as you wish. You pay as you go and that's it. Some scholarships are tied to a certain course load, and there's a minimum annual course load for student loans but that's a separate issue. 

It means that many people choose to work part time while taking a slightly reduced course load. It might take them 5 years then but they've been in the workforce, gaining experience, & hopefully minimizing their debt loads.