According to a blurb in Time Magazine, differential tuition is "A per-semester premium that more public universities are charging students who want to major in lucrative fields like business and engineering."
Iowa State engineering is charging $500 additional per year compared to "regular" tuition. U. of Wisconsin, Madison is charging +$500 per semester for undergrad business majors. Interestingly, Arizona State University charges a whole stack of majors differently--including journalism.
I was really angry when I read the Time Magazine definition. How can a public school charge more tuition based on a potential starting salary? Upon reading more articles though, looks like there was some oversimplication. Most of the universites are claiming the money is going to hire faculty that can otherwise command big industry salaries as well as purchase "major-specific" equipment.
Stanford certainly charges differential tuition for MBAs, and Engineering Masters degrees. Hey, they're a private school. They can do what they want. BUT, I don't think it makes sense for undergrad. I also don't think public universities should be doing it.
Our nation is facing a massive shortage in people with math, engineering and science expertise. Is this really the time to put up any kind of barrier for young people entering those fields? Argh.
4 comments:
The last thing we need is to discourage people from getting "useful" degrees.
I liked learning about hakas in your last post!
Your last paragraph said it all. They should give scholarships or reduce tuition for engineering.
I always feel that I should do more to encourage girls going into the field.
On your other comment, maybe I can introduce you to the workout after the book club. :)
The real solution will be to build two giant space-ships. One for those with useful degrees, and to the other - a la Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - for hairdressers, sociologist, Black Studies, Gay/Lesbian Studies, Women Studies, Polticial Science, anthropology (border line), Chicano Studies,etc. We'll tell them that we'll catch up later and then ditch them.
Uh, wait, I think the book said that Earth was colonized by the latter ship. That does explain things.
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