The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been trying for over a year now to figure out a plan to implement the 15 in 4 tuition plan.
This plan would change "full-time" student from 12 hours to 15 hours, they are hoping that this would encourage more students to earn a degree within 4 years. This means that if you are taking 12 hours, you are still paying for 15 hours. If you are taking over 15 hours, you are still going to have to pay extra for each class.
When presenting this idea, the University's evidence for the tuition plan is that student who takes 15 hours tend to have higher GPAs and gain their degree in 4 years. The major flaw in this is that this is implying that all students are the same. But there are some students who have families or jobs that may not allow them to take on a 15-hour class schedule.
Also, there was no evidence given about the effects that this tuition plan has had on universities that have already adopted the plan. To be honest, there was no clear evidence to show that this plan actually increases GPA and that it is the reason students are earning a degree within 4 years.
Throughout all of college, I have always taken 15 hours and a part-time job. I also still wanted to have a life, so I wanted to hang out with friends and have fun. And this is honestly a struggle. I do not usually get enough sleep as I want to because I have to study or do homework. This schedule right now stresses me out, I could not imagine having a full-time family or a family that takes your time.
I am trying to say that everyone's schedule and responsibilities are different, so it is hard to say that increasing their class schedules are going to increase their GPA. It could very well do the opposite, and decrease their GPA.
We have all heard a teacher at some point say that for every hour you spend in class you need to spend 2-3 hours of studying. This means that if you are taking 15 hours, you need to spend 30-45 hours of studying.
This could become difficult if you have responsibilities that take a good chunk of your time. And we all know that it is very difficult to get the grade you want without studying, especially if you have a harsh teacher or if it is an upper-level class.
It is common for students to change their major or to add a minor, and through this, they may not graduate within 4 years. There are also other circumstances, like the current Education department at UTC, where they change the requirements for graduation for everyone.
This means that if you are an upperclassman then there is a great chance where you will have to go an extra semester or two, because past classes may not count towards your major. So adding pressure that every student to graduate within 4 years is unrealistic.
The University is going to implement this plan over 3 years. So this is not going to affect me that much, but I am worried for those coming behind me. I understand the pressure and stress that comes with college, and I think that this plan would just increase that stress and pressure. It does seem to encourage students to capitalize on their time, but there is no evidence to support this.
If you are going to charge students more than the already ridiculous price that college is, please give precise evidence that shows that this is going to be a positive change. You can not make a drastic change by basing it on a statement that has no evidence to support it.
