How Do You Explain Changes to a Course from an Outside Provider?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

DS2 did two online courses offered by a program run by a highly ranked university.  There was a competitive application to get in.  The courses had weekly readings, frequent video conferences with professionals in the field, weekly assignments and a research paper as the capstone assignment (8-12 pages plus bibliography).

 

When he did the courses, the cost of running the course was covered by outside sources (probably a grant).  I just saw that the application for the next cycle for one of the courses is about to open, but that there is now a $1,500 tuition for the one semester course.

 

I'm wondering how this will change perceptions of the program.  Does it now seem less like a program for interested and well qualified students and more like the summer programs that cost several thousand dollars.  The courses did receive a grade and earned Continuing Education Credits from the university, but not official University Credit.  Would you explain the way the program was structured previously in course descriptions?

 

DS worked really hard on this course.  (And I imagine that future students will also have a great experience.)  I don't want it to come off as the type of course that was for well-financed students looking to pad their transcript.

 

 

[regentrude]

I do not quite understand: the course itself has not changed, has it? The only change is that it now costs tuition, and was subsidized before?

I would not mention anything about it. I don't see it that much different from dual enrollment courses for which people in many states have to pay full tuition - I have not encountered the perception that this is "for rich people".

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I do not quite understand: the course itself has not changed, has it? The only change is that it now costs tuition, and was subsidized before?

I would not mention anything about it. I don't see it that much different from dual enrollment courses for which people in many states have to pay full tuition - I have not encountered the perception that this is "for rich people".

 

Thanks.  That is a good perspective I hadn't thought of.  I was a bit astonished at the new cost of the course.  It was excellent, but there is no way we would have paid that amount for it.    

 

I did some more research and it seems that there was a 3 year grant to establish the course.  I don't know if another organization will come in and do a new grant or if the grant will be renewed.  I feel like the tuition change will alter the students that take the course.  

[GoodGrief]

I don't think I'd bother explaining the change. It may just confuse the readers. :-) It sounds like an excellent educational experience.

 

I think it's some of the expensive travel/"service" summer programs that are somewhat disregarded as a pay to play experience for wealthy kids. But even then, if it's something you see as having value for your student, I don't see forgoing it just because some admissions officer at a college may look down his nose at it.

 

 

[regentrude]

Thanks.  That is a good perspective I hadn't thought of.  I was a bit astonished at the new cost of the course.  It was excellent, but there is no way we would have paid that amount for it.    

 

I did some more research and it seems that there was a 3 year grant to establish the course.  I don't know if another organization will come in and do a new grant or if the grant will be renewed.  I feel like the tuition change will alter the students that take the course.  

 

Just for comparison: the order of magnitude is the same as in-state tuition including fees for a one semester 4 credit hour class at a public university. While expensive, it is not very different from taking a regular class at the university.

 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Just for comparison: the order of magnitude is the same as in-state tuition including fees for a one semester 4 credit hour class at a public university. While expensive, it is not very different from taking a regular class at the university.

Goodness what is the per credit cost where you are? I paid for three classes plus a one credit lab class for less than $1500 here. The state subsidied rate is around $130/credit. The unsubsidized rate is only $250/credit. I guess that's why I had sticker shock when I saw the new cost.

 

I guess it's not far off from the cost for online high school courses from Johns Hopkins CTY or Stanford online high school.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Just for comparison: the order of magnitude is the same as in-state tuition including fees for a one semester 4 credit hour class at a public university. While expensive, it is not very different from taking a regular class at the university.

Goodness what is the per credit cost where you are? I paid for three classes plus a one credit lab class for less than $1500 here. The state subsidied rate is around $130/credit. The unsubsidized rate is only $250/credit. I guess that's why I had sticker shock when I saw the new cost.

 

I guess it's not far off from the cost for online high school courses from Johns Hopkins CTY or Stanford online high school.

[regentrude]

Goodness what is the per credit cost where you are? I paid for three classes plus a one credit lab class for less than $1500 here. The state subsidied rate is around $130/credit. The unsubsidized rate is only $250/credit. I guess that's why I had sticker shock when I saw the new cost.

 

At the public four year university where I teach, the credit hour costs $276 for in state tuition - that's $1,104 in tuition alone for a class. In addition, there would be supplemental course fees, depending on what kind of a course it is, and required student fees.

 

This is a fairly typical rate for a four year school and not particularly high compared to other institutions.

 

ETA: Currently, the average tuition for a public university in the US is $9,410 per year for in state residents. Divide this by 32 credit hours for year, you get an average of $294 per credit hour.

http://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/content_payarticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10064

Edited January 26, 2016 by regentrude

[Sebastian (a lady)]

At the public four year university where I teach, the credit hour costs $276 for in state tuition - that's $1,104 in tuition alone for a class. In addition, there would be supplemental course fees, depending on what kind of a course it is, and required student fees.

 

This is a fairly typical rate for a four year school and not particularly high compared to other institutions.

 

ETA: Currently, the average tuition for a public university in the US is $9,410 per year for in state residents. Divide this by 32 credit hours for year, you get an average of $294 per credit hour.

http://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/content_payarticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10064

 

Got it.  That makes sense.  I was comparing to the CC credit hour costs, not the local university.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

I think I would make sure in a course description to point out the competitive admission to the course, especially if that has changed.  If the course content hasn't changed nor the credits given I think you should be good to go.

[chiguirre]

How about saying that he was awarded full tuition merit aid for the course?

[TechWife]

How about saying that he was awarded full tuition merit aid for the course?

 

That would be wrong because that's not what happened.

[JoanHomeEd]

Mine attended a summer program that was free but no longer so (perhaps they ran out of grant $ or it became more popular). Also attended a number of free summer programs because of middle school talent search scholarship $, which were relatively expensive otherwise. I briefly mentioned them in our homeschool profile.

[chiguirre]

That would be wrong because that's not what happened.

I thought they had a grant to cover everyone's tuition? That's why the course was free for Sebastian's ds (and for everybody else). It also, undoubtedly, made admissions more competitive because nobody had to pay. Now that it costs $1500, many potential students won't apply because they either don't have the money or would prefer to spend it on an AP class or summer camp or save it for college.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I thought they had a grant to cover everyone's tuition? That's why the course was free for Sebastian's ds (and for everybody else). It also, undoubtedly, made admissions more competitive because nobody had to pay. Now that it costs $1500, many potential students won't apply because they either don't have the money or would prefer to spend it on an AP class or summer camp or save it for college.

 

It doesn't feel correct to say that there was full tuition merit aid for a course that was no cost to all students.

 

I may say something in the course description or counselor letter.  I may just let it be.  As Regentrude mentioned, it was and remains a solid program.  

 

I'm really hoping that by the time they open up applications for the next cycle, they will have gotten new funding to cover the costs.  

Edited January 27, 2016 by Sebastian (a lady)

[TechWife]

I thought they had a grant to cover everyone's tuition? That's why the course was free for Sebastian's ds (and for everybody else). It also, undoubtedly, made admissions more competitive because nobody had to pay. Now that it costs $1500, many potential students won't apply because they either don't have the money or would prefer to spend it on an AP class or summer camp or save it for college.

 

That is not merit aid.

 

ETA: OP said she thought it was a grant. In any case, the uni has discretion on how to spend grant money. They chose to make the program tuition free, using the grant money (if it is a grant) to pay the salary of the person who taught it. That is not merit aid. 

Edited January 28, 2016 by TechWife