Flat rate approved to equal cost of 18 hours

By Carrie Woodall
Staff Reporter

TCU officials will announce today that they approved flat-rate tuition for incoming, full-time students and determined a tuition increase for current, full-time students.

The university fee for new students will be $7,500 a semester, beginning in fall 2001. Current students will pay an increase of 7.7 percent jumping from $390 to $420 a credit hour. With the increased rate, incoming students will pay for approximately 18 hours regardless of the number enrolled.

Chancellor Ferrari said in January that the new tuition policy will move TCU in the direction of other high-caliber universities.

“The flat fee encourages a higher four-year graduation rate, which is a major goal of every top-ranked private school,” he said.Ray Brown, dean of admissions, said the four-year graduation rate at TCU is not what it should be.

“Because of the quality of institution TCU is, we should have a much higher graduation rate,” he said. “As the quality of an institution goes up, its graduation rate should also goes up.”

He said the university should be graduating around 60 percent of the students in a four-year period. But currently only between 40 and 50 percent of students are graduating that soon.

Ferrari said the flat rate will help TCU stand out more as a private institution.

“The advantage of going to a private university is for the entire academic and student experience,” he said. “This is why most private schools have semester tuition plans.”

Brown said the university was one of the only private schools to charge an hourly credit rate.

“It’s difficult to find another private institution that charges by credit hour,” he said. “We are an institution that does not need to look like a public school.”

Courtney Jones, a junior elementary education major, said she is satisfied with the decision to make the flat-rate tuition apply only to incoming students.

“I’m glad the flat rate won’t affect (current students), because I will only be taking 12 (hours) next fall and nine (hours) the following spring,” she said. “I’ll be a senior, so I don’t have many hours left to complete. The flat rate would cause me to lose money.”

Mike Scott, director of scholarships and student financial aid, said the flat rate will be beneficial to financial aid business.

“The flat rate enables us to not have to adjust costs for some scholarships,” he said. “Many scholarships can be put at a flat fee, because the tuition is a constant number.”

Zach Collins, a sophomore tuba performance major, said he agrees with the flat rate, but wants the option to be available for current students also.

“I think the university fee is OK,” he said. “I just wish we had the option for the flat rate in case we decide to take 17 or 18 hours.”

Ferrari said the university’s flat fee will enhance the educational experience at TCU.

“(The flat rate) reflects the total TCU educational experience rather than seat or hour time in classes,” he said. “The TCU educational experience is more than time in class.”

Carrie Woodall
c.d.woodall@student.tcu.edu