Money Bytes
Unity Works
Shannon Cohen
Business & Technology Editor
Issue date: 9/8/09 Section: Business
Students from colleges across the statewide united at the capitol last year to protest against the Tennessee's Board of Reagents decision to remove the 12 hour tuition cap.
In previous years, students were able to take up to 18 hours and it would be included in tuition costs. However, because of the struggling economy, TBR decided to increase the cost of tuition in order to pay for rising state expenses.
Students decorated picket signs, marched, hosted and attended rallies that opposed the TBR's proposal. However, the cap was indeed removed.
The TBR's proposal insisted students pay the university per credit hour taken a semester. With a struggling economy and drastic increase in unemployment, students didn't to pay the increase.
After protests and meetings with TBR officials, the final decision remained and students were allowed to take up to 12 credit hours without being charged extra. If students wanted to take more than 12 hours, they would have to pay by the hour.
This is a great accomplishment for students, because although tuition was increased, it was not an immense increase. For out-of-state students, there was a $35 fee assessed for every additional hour over 12 hours.
Meanwhile, the tuition increase was only $10 for every hour over 12 hours.
However, when tuition increased, government aid and students' income did not. Some students were still forced to either drop out or take out loans in efforts to fund their education.
In all, the unity of TBR schools led to the amendment of the bill and showed that when we all come together for a common cause, change will come.•
In previous years, students were able to take up to 18 hours and it would be included in tuition costs. However, because of the struggling economy, TBR decided to increase the cost of tuition in order to pay for rising state expenses.
Students decorated picket signs, marched, hosted and attended rallies that opposed the TBR's proposal. However, the cap was indeed removed.
The TBR's proposal insisted students pay the university per credit hour taken a semester. With a struggling economy and drastic increase in unemployment, students didn't to pay the increase.
After protests and meetings with TBR officials, the final decision remained and students were allowed to take up to 12 credit hours without being charged extra. If students wanted to take more than 12 hours, they would have to pay by the hour.
This is a great accomplishment for students, because although tuition was increased, it was not an immense increase. For out-of-state students, there was a $35 fee assessed for every additional hour over 12 hours.
Meanwhile, the tuition increase was only $10 for every hour over 12 hours.
However, when tuition increased, government aid and students' income did not. Some students were still forced to either drop out or take out loans in efforts to fund their education.
In all, the unity of TBR schools led to the amendment of the bill and showed that when we all come together for a common cause, change will come.•
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