Florida's public universities considering flat-rate tuition (Orlando Sentinel)

<p>MIAMI— Full-time students at Florida's public universities may soon be paying a flat rate for tuition, no matter how many classes they take.</p>

<p>The university system's Board of Governors is considering a plan in which full-time students would pay a flat fee instead of per credit hour. Backers want to push students to graduate on time or even early.</p>

<p>To graduate in four years, a student must take 15 credit hours each semester. That's the equivalent of five classes.</p>

<p>But some students only take four classes a semester, meaning it takes longer for them to graduate. Those students would pay more per credit hour. A few students take six classes a semester — those students would pay less per credit hour.</p>

<p>The governors could decide by November.</p>

<p>A flat tuition rate wouldn’t help students. It is just another way for universities to get more money–a stealth tuition charge increase. Classes could get more crowded too. I doubt the universities would open up/offer more classes to help students get out of college earlier. What the universities might do to increase income is charge flat rate for 15 hrs knowing many students would still take only 12, and charge extra for taking over 15 hrs–then the universities could collect even more money.</p>

<p>Absolutely moronic. The dumbest part about it is that it assumes every major is equally as difficult for every single student. </p>

<p>I know plenty of people who limit themselves to 12 hours or so because they’re in super difficult majors, or majors that they don’t naturally take to. Not to mention work considerations or family responsibilities, or undergraduate research. Many places will limit the amount of credit you can receive for a research “class”, no matter how many actual hours per day/week you spend on it. </p>

<p>What about summer? What is “full time” in summer? 9 hours? Madness.</p>