<p>Actually, anyone in the double degree program at Oberlin gets 17 hours per semester at no additional charge. They can also take orchestra, wind ensemble or chorus for 0 credit hours instead of the normal 1 and the principal private lesson for 3 instead of the normal 4. That makes the equivalent of 19 hours per semester possible without additional charges or paperwork. The double degree requires a minimum of 152 semester hours there (which, coincidentally equals 8 times 19.) If edad's daughter would have gotten permission to overload to 22 hours per semester (which is doubtful), the charges would have been at most $2700 per semester and quite possibly less than that if she were to explore some other angles. </p>
<p>For those considering work-study there, living, eating and working at the housing and dining co-ops reduces living costs more than the equivalent number of hours spent at a work-study job would pay. Most of the students that I spoke with said the the co-op food was much better than the cafeteria food. Depending on the co-op jobs you take, the hours can be pretty flexible so as not to interfere with rehearsals and practice the way a scheduled shift might. My daughter tends to average the equivalent of 17-18 semester hours plus six hours per week doing co-op work. If she continues on for the double degree, she will probably take ten full semesters but will be able to take several electives of interest above and beyond the minimum requirements.</p>