Dive Brief:
- In announcing a new pilot program offering reduced-price general education courses, the University of Akron said it’s $49-per-credit-hour rate is half the cost at area community colleges.
- Cleveland.com reports the community colleges in question have fought back, accusing the University of Akron of confusing students because, they say, lower fees make their degrees a better value.
- The University of Akron’s GenEd Core will be composed of about a dozen introductory courses and taught in a blended learning format where tuition is $49 per credit hour instead of $359 per credit hour.
Dive Insight:
Colleges across Ohio and throughout the country are struggling to market their programs to an increasingly sought-after population of students. It is not uncommon for an institution to argue its programs offer the best value to money-conscious students. With a proposal for free community college on the table from President Barack Obama, four-year colleges may increasingly consider cheaper alternatives for their introductory courses. Tempting students to do an entire four-year degree with them instead of transferring in with an associate degree is certainly a better value for the college itself, if not the student.