3 credit online class = $1056.00

[RadiationTherapy]

I am taking a three credit online class over the winter break. Tuition + fees = $1056.00 (in-state rate). That is for a nowhere school in small-town Arizona. Many of our students come from California because paying out-of-state tuition here is cheaper than paying in-state tuition in California. I have been working at this university for 8 years and we have had 3 major tuition increases. More cuts are coming next year.

Think about that when you think of people "working their way through college" or when a young graduate doesn't want a low-paying job.

[rainy]

1. Don't you know tuition and college dept is the new bubble? nt

[GoCubsGo]

2. Also...

Think about that when the unemployed, especially those of us whose benefits have long run out, are told we should "retrain." This, on top of trying to find a means to pay our mortgages and other bills.

[RadiationTherapy]

3. I don't mind working hard to find a place for myself,

but to hear politicians and baby boomers casually refer to "working their way through college" they are ignorant of the costs of school and housing. This coupled with 30 years of stagnant wages...for the bottom 98%. The wealthiest QUINTUPLED their incomes from 2007-2009 during the "Recession". Scam-world.

[LiberalEsto]

5. Absolutely

I've been out of work for 2 years, but there's no money for re-training because we're paying our kids' student loans. One is still attending community college. Once she finishes, maybe there will be a little bit of money for retraining, but why bother? I'll be 59 and nobody will want to hire me anyway.

[blueamy66]

42. Not to be mean, but

why are you paying your kids' student loans?

[Sirveri]

4. Not totally false, but almost. CA tuition is generally the cheapest around.

UC and CSU system are bargains for the quality of the education. And as for the three unit class, it's still only 26$ per unit at a community college in CA, which I suspect is of equal quality to an out of state no name diploma mill. I would like to see prices stay static or decrease to previous levels, but right now the state has some pretty serious problems (mainly due to the proposition system) and they're balancing the budget on the backs of the students and poor (as usual).

[RadiationTherapy]

7. I don't live in Cali, I just talk to the students here. I have been for 8 years.

From the looks of their vehicles, it is possible that their parents make too much money for aid in CA. It is a VERY common refrain here. Most campus employees know this about our Cali students too.

[Sirveri]

9. That is very true. I thought it was quite funny that while I had been unemployed for a year

I didn't qualify for any financial aid at all. In fact the amount of money I would have had to earn under was less than my rent. That said, the per unit cost of classes for much of the system are quite reasonable.

[Bigmack]

6. Perfect recipe for creating a feudal economy. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. those credits would cost you about $2000 in California state university

[RadiationTherapy]

10. Wow. Nearly double? Is that in-state?

No wonder so many hit the I40 eastbound to AZ.

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. yep, in-state, 6 units or less cost $2000.

[customerserviceguy]

12. A grand?

That's some pretty expensive TV there.

Yes, I equate online education with watching TV. Only TV is fairly cheap, even with an expensive cable or satellite package.

[alarimer]

13. Online courses were the only way I could get my Masters.

While working full time.

It was from a real university too, not some expensive for-profit rip-off like Phoenix or Kaplan.

Get off your high horse.

[TriMera]

14. Really? Have you ever taken an online class? n/t

[customerserviceguy]

17. Nope

Would never spend that kind of money for a mail-order "education" back in the 70's (before they figured out how to sell them on the Internet) either.

It's not like they're paying for professors, buildings, etc. It's just giving the same stuff to a bunch of people willing to pay for a piece of paper at the end of it, that they think they can trade for money at some employer. It shouldn't cost as much as the old-fashioned way of getting an education, because it costs way less to provide.

[KharmaTrain]

18. Mail Order? Hardly

My daughter is in a master's program at a Big 10 university...not some mail order place. She teaches during the day and takes classes online at night. It saves her the 90 minutes of round trip commuting after a long day at work. Also she's guaranteed the best teachers since there's no limit on the number of students who can participate online. She doesn't have to waste time and money waiting for specific classes to open. She hears the same lectures, has to submit the same papers and take tests that anyone in a "brick & mortor" classroom does.

Does it matter how you learn as long as you do? Join the 21st century...

[customerserviceguy]

21. Everything you say is true

And if so many students can learn from the same teacher, why do they charge for it like it's an in-person education?

Colleges sell credentials, that's all this is about. It doesn't matter to them how little they have to invest in the students to provide an education, it just matters how much money they can get for a perceived reputation of that credential.

[Hissyspit]

23. Here:

[KharmaTrain]

33. Teachers Still Put In The Time...

Just because the classroom is a studio or webcam doesn't take away the amount of time a teacher has to spend in preparing for those classes and then reading and grading reports and exams. My daughter also will "skype" with various faculty members for assistance and evaluations. While I wouldn't suggest this as a means to teach young children it's a great innovation for higher education that can and will provide quality instruction and resources to more students.

Regarding credentials...I have been a big critic of higher education for being more wedded in their own importance and politics than it is to educate people to find jobs upon graduation. When I went off to college in 1973 I paid for an entire semester what the OP is paying for one class...and mine included room and board (I think I was paying $30 a credit hour). Today I'm helping support two kids in grad school where they're paying upwards of $500 per credit hour...but it's a necessary evil if they're to move forward in their chosen careers. Fortunately I have the resources to help them but I know how difficult it is for those who don't and how out of control college tuition rates have become.

Cheers...

[handmade34]

36. "Colleges sell credentials"

that is true whether is is an online class or brick and mortar education... I prefer sitting in a classroom and interfacing with the instructor in person, but I can't. My online classes are valuable to me; I communicate with the instructor often, I get timely feedback on my work and the online discussion is often lively and enlightening... my grades and possible resulting degree will be every bit as valid as if I sat in a classroom for hundreds of hours

[Hissyspit]

19. IT staff, course development (I get paid for that, too, because it is a skill and takes a lot of

time.) There are real issues, but the fact is, most courses are becoming hybrid/blended courses, so the divisions are being blurred, anyway. You are oversimplying these issues greatly. And it depends on whether it is a legitimate institution with integrity or a degree mill. They are not the same.

[customerserviceguy]

20. Once you've developed a course for one person

it can be mass-marketed to thousands (maybe tens or hundreds of thousands) of people. Not unlike producing a TV show.

The IT staff simply has to make sure all the hardware functions, and that hackers don't bring the 'classroom' down.

When a 'legitimate' institution charges the same price for the online experience that it does for the in-person experience, it starts to lose legitimacy in my eyes.

[Hissyspit]

22. Well, it would.

If you continue to oversimplify.

Infrastructure of my legitimate and accredited (notice I took the scare quotes out) university is supported for students who can or DO take both/all kinds of courses. My courses are not mass-marketed, and are re-developed and updated by myself and other faculty members, constantly.

"University Distance Courses Cost More to Develop Overall But The Same To Deliver As On-Campus Courses:

Final Report to the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee - North Carolina General Assembly- April 28, 2010"

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/PED/Reports/documents/DE/DE_Report.pdf

[RadiationTherapy]

30. Your assessments are congruent with my online experiences. It is the future of real education.

Free and available to the masses. If we can keep it, that is...

[handmade34]

35. MIT offers free classes

as well as other schools and sites... doesn't give you the diploma or personal time with the instructor, but awesome for personal growth and/or review.

I have taken 2 online classes every quarter for the past few years through a small school in Nebraska... can't afford to finish my Masters, but these classes keep me active academically...

http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

[TriMera]

37. Well, I do. My professors teach the same classes

in a "traditional" classroom that I get online. I go to school online because I can't afford my local university and I don't have reliable transportation. I'm earning a B.A. at a state university and I actually have to work harder than the students that sit in the classroom. There is more reading, writing, and problem solving in online classes. They are not the diploma mills that they were 20 years ago. Maybe you should look into it before you spout off.

[noamnety]

41. That matches my experience.

Online courses can increase interaction between students and instructors. I've done an MA online at one university and online grad work at another. I haven't run into any of the "watch a video" courses some people are referring to. Students in a lecture hall don't have the same opportunity (or requirement) to comment during each lesson, they can passively sit during a large lecture course.

I found forum discussions for online classes were more equitable, we didn't run into the dynamic of one type A personality talking over other students; those who are more introverted or take longer to formulate their thoughts were given equal class time. Personally, I appreciate the extra time to stop and process text then ask meaningful questions or contribute to the discussion. In face to face classes, the discussion's linear and often by the time I think of how I want to phrase something the class has already moved on to another point and I end up never finding a time to say what I wanted.

The online classes are especially nice because people are judged solely on their intellectual contributions, not dismissed based on appearance (gender, race, weight, disabilities, age, etc). It's a great equalizer in a world where we don't all have equal privilege.

[RadiationTherapy]

27. I am at the end of a bachelor degree program. This class fills a requirement for me.

The tuition is no different for a lecture style class. It is the rate for three credit hours at Northern Arizona University; the school is accredited and typical of an american university.

[anafreeka]

34. Online education is great!

I'm finishing my online degree in New Mexico. The courses are exactly the same as the classroom. I think the classroom experience is the best, however, I am a transfer student, so I have experienced both worlds. Please don't knock what you haven't experienced. I pay 3,000 for my full-time schedule and a distance learning fee. The coursework is very intense!

[aikoaiko]

15. If you graduate from a GA high school w/a 3.0 GPA, in-state tuition at public universities is free.

Of course you have to maintain your 3.0+ GPA, but it is a sweet deal. Some fees are covered and you get $300/semester for books.

You can move to GA, pay for your first year and then get the same deal for your last three years.

If GA can do it, others can too.

[RadiationTherapy]

29. AZ just eliminated this program. Too many students succeeded and the program

was underfunded. Too much success. True story.

[aikoaiko]

40. Need is close to overtaking funding here in GA. So far so good for the last 18 years.

[tammywammy]

16. I go to a private university and a 3 hr class is $1125

That's in-state tuition. Tuition increased 5% this year, but it's been over 5 years since they had increased tuition (I haven't been here 5 years, but that's what was in the presentation).

I'm taking a winter and 1 spring class at a community college and they're $150 each (3 hr classes).

But I'm older and I knew how much this particular university cost when I enrolled and knew how much debt I'd be taking on. I also work full time as well.

[blueamy66]

24. Wow!

I'm bitching about $300 for a community college Spanish class here in AZ.

$1000??? What school and what class?

[RadiationTherapy]

25. Northern Arizona University - Just an online sociology class.

This is the standard rate though.

[blueamy66]

26. I would love to move to Flag and get

another degree at NAU.

Someday....maybe...

[RadiationTherapy]

28. It is a wonderful place to weather the climate change if we can keep the fires and

thirst at bay. Absolutely pleasant up here.

[blueamy66]

32. My fiance has some stores up in Flag

and I travel with him sometimes.

I absolutely LOVE Flag and look for houses for sale up there weekly.

We hit The Museum Club regularly..to dance and bet on the horsies.

Again, I love Flag!

[aikoaiko]

39. I am a graduate of NAU -- good luck. I took several classes from Doug Dehger.

I really miss Flagstaff.

[RadiationTherapy]

31. The math of a debt-ucation.

If a young person with little job experience can find a $10/hour job - hahahaha... ahem -

then work 25 hours per week and put that entire check towards tuition, it would take that person 4 weeks to pay for the tuition for 3 credit hours.

Since minimum full-time is 12 credit hours, the student would need to work every week of the 16 week semester and put their entire paycheck into tuition.

Housing, food, socializing, mistakes, where is the budget for all of this?

Banks line up to offer credit. Scam.

[WCGreen]

38. Tuitions are so expensive because there is a giant middle man in

between the student and the college...

The student loan industry and the fact that you can't discharge these loans in a bankruptcy plays into the skewing of the market...

[Selatius]

43. In France, that amount will basically cover most of a year of college schooling.

And not just one semester. This could be remedied if they would divert more cash into public education instead of blowing it all on things like the Pentagon or bail-outs for Wall Street bankers.