Hello…is the Longhorn Fixed Tuition plan a good idea? My son is OOS. Thanks in advance
Tough question. UT had not increased their tuition between 2011 and 2016. In 2016, they increased tuition 3%, with another 3% scheduled for 2017. The Lt. Governor does not want them to increase tuition and they did just get a 3% boost in state funding from the legislative session that just ended. They actually were slated to have a 19% decrease in funding but were able to come out with a 3% increase. They have legislative sessions every 2 years and the results are very much based on what oil/gas is doing at the time. I would not think they would raise tuition next year since they got the increase in funding. There has also been no talk about increasing tuition, actually the opposite. The Governor also put in a hiring freeze earlier this year to try to decrease expenses.
My take is that next year’s is set and will be the same for the following year. There is political pressure to keep tuition where it is at. The last 2 years, it depends on what oil/gas is doing. If it is healthy, tuition will not increase but if not, they will cut state spending for universities significantly. It is not a priority spending item for them, forcing the schools to raise tuition but probably around the 3% level like they are doing now. That is my crystal ball prediction. If you want certainty, go with the fixed plan.
Really it depends on how many credit hours you plan on taking. If it is more than 12 then choose the fixed plan. If you plan on taking less than 12 credit hours then don’t. IMO a higher GPA accounts for more than the speed to which you complete your undergrad. But if you feel that you can handle a lot of classes and still make top marks, then you can save a lot of money by taking more classes with the fixed plan. Or if you feel that C’s get degrees then by all means, but I don’t think you would have been accepted if you had that philosophy.