Oklahomans will get UNT in-state tuition

[MeanGreenTexan]

Because state tax dollars pay for part of higher education expenses - so why would Texas as a state wish to subsidize another states citizen?

Bingo.

As stated? I don't think so. But let's be trailblazers!

How do we pay for it?

[10Eagle10]

Bingo.

How do we pay for it?

just pencil whip the numbers.

but in all seriousness, giving free tuition to all top 5% students would pay for itself in the long run.

[BillySee58]

Graduated HS in 2010. Applied to all of the schools besides OU, and they all offered me instate tuition or instate plus a small amount (no amount was greater than 1500).

Yeah, I graduated in 2011 and that's how it was. But you had to have a certain test score/class rank depending on the school (like someone else mentioned).

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

just pencil whip the numbers.

but in all seriousness, giving free tuition to all top 5% students would pay for itself in the long run.

I'm guessing if you're in the top 5% you are already getting a full-scholarship. But they don't want to advertise to that demographic, because that would involve quality over quantity.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

Graduated HS in 2010. Applied to all of the schools besides OU, and they all offered me instate tuition or instate plus a small amount (no amount was greater than 1500).

They did this in 2010? If they did, I wasn't aware of it. I remember having to go through a whole ordeal to show that my dad who lived in Louisiana supported me financially to try to get in-state tuition for LSU. I didn't apply to the rest you mentioned.

[Eagle1855]

How do we pay for it?

We have a top-50 accounting program, remember? They'll figure something out.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

We have a top-50 accounting program, remember? They'll figure something out.

Accounting is for squares.

[oldguystudent]

Accounting is for squares.

I'll tell you one thing for sure. The stereotype that accountants have no soul and are incapable of social interaction exists for a reason. They can't even put a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter in the break room here without written instructions on how to use them, for fear of thinking outside the box and breaking protocol.

[FirefightnRick]

I guess there wasnt enough kids parking on campus?

Seriously, can we somehow now raise the student athletic fee and put it to some good contractual housecleaning around here? I can think of about 4 needing bought out.

Rick

[GRN-WHT]

I guess there wasnt enough kids parking on campus?

Seriously, can we somehow now raise the student athletic fee and put it to some good contractual housecleaning around here? I can think of about 4 needing bought out.

Rick

Here's why RV will never push for the fee to be raised- the more money there is floating around, the more money there is to buy out contracts. When more coaches get fired, his seat gets hotter. If there isn't money to fire coaches, there sure as hell isn't money to fire RV and his cronies. The low athletic fee is his job security. Simple as that.

[Stix]

I'll tell you one thing for sure. The stereotype that accountants have no soul and are incapable of social interaction exists for a reason. They can't even put a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter in the break room here without written instructions on how to use them, for fear of thinking outside the box and breaking protocol.

Do they read their poetry there?

[adman]

Bingo.

How do we pay for it?

Let's raise out of state tuition and use the difference!

Or a small amount of investment income from our endowment.

[oldguystudent]

offer FREE tuition to the top 5% of Texas HS grads. (They'll still have to pay their athletic fee though.)

Only the athletic fee? The rec center needs its money, the student union bond needs its money, the library needs its money, won't somebody think of the hot dog guy outside the GA Building? They'd realistically have to pay all fees or none.

For this current school year, for 15 semester hours, tuition is $3,891.60. Fees are $1,250.75. Instructional Fees are $195.

27% of a student's current experience at UNT is fees.

Edited January 27, 2015 by oldguystudent

[FirefightnRick]

Or a small amount of investment income from our endowment.

All twenty seven cents of it?

Rick

[Harry]

If you didn't notice, our enrollment decreased last year. Not by a lot but it was a significant milestone in my mind and something that quickly needs to be addressed.

I've stated on here many times how things are changing in higher ed. State governments are squeezing budgets that used to be cash cows for colleges. The advent of online education is dramatically changing the marketplace. Student debt is soaring and there is still a tough job market out there for graduates.

So I'm for any and all ideas to try and get the enrollment growth back on track.

On another note, I believe there are too many colleges. There needs to be some merging of institutions and unfortunately some of them need to be shut down. I have long felt that there in no reason for TWU and UNT to be separate institutions. I hope the state will look at this and require them to merge. I think TWU could move under the UNT system and still keep their mission and autonomy.

I also hate that it is taking the state so long to decide UNT's fate on the accounting fiasco. We need a decision to be made on how much we owe and when it has to be paid back. I am NOT happy about the fact that the perpetrators of this situation were able to exit stage left without any real accountability. This was probably the biggest UNT blunder in my time since being student, perhaps in history. I am glad to know that it wasn't a purposeful fraud or Ponzi scheme but there still should be some ramifications and apologies given to the alumni, students and donors. For this thing to go down right as we were vying for Tier I is extremely disappointing to me as a graduate.

[oldguystudent]

I'm staring down these logarithmic increases in the cost of college education and thinking to myself that I didn't put enough away when the kid was born. I can't not send her to college, but it seems every day of the week the cost goes up another thousand or two per semester. Compound that with the professional value of a college degree seems to diminish in direct proportion to cost increase dollar for dollar. It's not fair of me as a parent to wash my hands of the situation and let her get buried under a pile of usurious debt that she'll die before she pays off, but brother, I don't know how I'm gonna cover it.

Her choices right now look like TAMS or community college, and even with the latter, if I'm reading the surrounding district tuition and fees correctly, I get to pay double because I don't live in a county with a community college district.

But screw it. Increase the fees. All of them! We need more foam fingers! That's what this is all about, right? Keeping the alumni in office bragging rights? F the kids and their parents who are incoming.

Doesn't surprise me a bit to see enrollment dropping. It's been a bubble for the better part of at least a decade predicated on easy money credit.

[untjim1995]

Here's why RV will never push for the fee to be raised- the more money there is floating around, the more money there is to buy out contracts. When more coaches get fired, his seat gets hotter. If there isn't money to fire coaches, there sure as hell isn't money to fire RV and his cronies. The low athletic fee is his job security. Simple as that.

That's not up to RV--its up to the BOR and the administration (see Jackson, Lee). His job security is from not complaining about that said fee or any other funding issue.

[Eagle1855]

If you didn't notice, our enrollment decreased last year. Not by a lot but it was a significant milestone in my mind and something that quickly needs to be addressed.

I'm okay with it if it there's a correlating decrease in our acceptance rate due to increased admissions standards.

I think the Top 5% getting free tuition idea is genius.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

If you didn't notice, our enrollment decreased last year. Not by a lot but it was a significant milestone in my mind and something that quickly needs to be addressed.

I've stated on here many times how things are changing in higher ed. State governments are squeezing budgets that used to be cash cows for colleges. The advent of online education is dramatically changing the marketplace. Student debt is soaring and there is still a tough job market out there for graduates.

So I'm for any and all ideas to try and get the enrollment growth back on track.

On another note, I believe there are too many colleges. There needs to be some merging of institutions and unfortunately some of them need to be shut down. I have long felt that there in no reason for TWU and UNT to be separate institutions. I hope the state will look at this and require them to merge. I think TWU could move under the UNT system and still keep their mission and autonomy.

I also hate that it is taking the state so long to decide UNT's fate on the accounting fiasco. We need a decision to be made on how much we owe and when it has to be paid back. I am NOT happy about the fact that the perpetrators of this situation were able to exit stage left without any real accountability. This was probably the biggest UNT blunder in my time since being student, perhaps in history. I am glad to know that it wasn't a purposeful fraud or Ponzi scheme but there still should be some ramifications and apologies given to the alumni, students and donors. For this thing to go down right as we were vying for Tier I is extremely disappointing to me as a graduate.

I'm fine with increasing enrollment but not if the cost is a lower product coming out of the university. There is a tendency of Universities who are strapped for cash to accept anyone that breathes which creates a saturated product. The economy does best when only a certain percent of the population has Bachelors degrees, it makes those who do have a bachelor more marketable. I love North Texas, but during my time there I noticed more and more students who, bless their hearts(Texas insult), were not college material. That's a concern for me, because what we put out in the work-force becomes the perception of our University. I know this sounds elitist but all I'm trying to say is I prefer quality over quantity when it comes to who my University accepts. Both University of Texas and Texas A&M have experienced rapid growth but a large percent of that is auto-admit top 10% students who find out-of-state costs and private universities unreasonably costly. Meanwhile, upon my last check UNT's admission standards have lowered since I applied 5 years ago. This should not be the trend.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Only the athletic fee? The rec center needs its money, the student union bond needs its money, the library needs its money, won't somebody think of the hot dog guy outside the GA Building? They'd realistically have to pay all fees or none.

For this current school year, for 15 semester hours, tuition is $3,891.60. Fees are $1,250.75. Instructional Fees are $195.

27% of a student's current experience at UNT is fees.

So under Adman's top 5% plan, a TX top 5% student would take 4+ years of this. (Roll the "instructional Fees" into the tuition and just pay the "fees")

Top 5% student pays: ($1250.75 * 2) 4 = $10,000 for a Bachelor's degree (probably more though as most degree plans call for more than 120hrs).

All other students pay: ($5337 * 2) 4 = $42,696 for a Bachelor's degree (probably more though as most degree plans call for more than 120hrs).

That is a HUGE difference out of a student's pocket, and I'm sure these students' parents would be interested.

But, it's also a large amount of money out of the University's coffers for each of these students.

How would UNT make up more than $32k per student in that plan other than hoping/praying/wishing they will give back in the future?

I like the idea, just need to see how it would work.

[Eagle1855]

How would UNT make up more than $32k per student in that plan other than hoping/praying/wishing they will give back in the future?

I like the idea, just need to see how it would work.

How many Top 5-%ers do you think suppose we have now?

[emmitt01]

How many Top 5-%ers do you think suppose we have now?

That doesn't answer his question.

How does an increase in top 5% students make up for the money they aren't paying to the university?

And for that matter, what does "top 5%" mean? Top 5% of your graduating class? For schools a senior classes of 100 it's easy (5 students get free tuition). What about schools with a senior class of 12? Or is it top 5% of all graduating seniors in Texas? And what is the standard then...top 5% of GPA's? What about schools that only offer a 4.0 scale while others operate on a 5.0 scale? Is it top 5% of SAT scores? ACT scores?

It's not such a simple "brilliant" idea.

[Harry]

That doesn't answer his question.

How does an increase in top 5% students make up for the money they aren't paying to the university?

And for that matter, what does "top 5%" mean? Top 5% of your graduating class? For schools a senior classes of 100 it's easy (5 students get free tuition). What about schools with a senior class of 12? Or is it top 5% of all graduating seniors in Texas? And what is the standard then...top 5% of GPA's? What about schools that only offer a 4.0 scale while others operate on a 5.0 scale? Is it top 5% of SAT scores? ACT scores?

It's not such a simple "brilliant" idea.

If they are in the top 5% of their class even with 100 students I would bet we would be very interested in having them. Sure you need to work out the kinks and protect against abuse but as I concept I love the idea. It will attract more of the top students to UNT.

[Lydia Gooding]

Any idea that doesn't drag the university through mud while increasing attendance, research, $, market, etc. I like. This new Prez is doing his job and that is all that I ask. Do. Your. Job. No matter the circumstances, do. your. job.

[emmitt01]

If they are in the top 5% of their class even with 100 students I would bet we would be very interested in having them. Sure you need to work out the kinks and protect against abuse but as I concept I love the idea. It will attract more of the top students to UNT.

This is exactly what got UT, aTm, etc in trouble with their "guaranteed admission for the top 10% of your class" rule. If you're Allen HS and have 400 in a graduating class it is fairly competitive to be in that top 40 students. You'd need to take AP classes and study nightly. If, on the other hand, you graduate from a less competitive school with 40 kids in your class you just have to be one of the 4 at the top...though you may not be as competitive as number 41 at Allen.

And still nobody can explain how those "top 5%" will make up for the $30,000 per student that won't be paid in tuition.