The
Possible move to plateau tuition ERIKA VICHCALES Lode Writer As the cost of tuition rises, many ideas have been discussed on how to make the financial burden affordable for students. Michigan Technological University is taking steps to explore what options there are and there may be big changes on the horizon. One change being considered is switching to a plateau tuition plan. “The idea is that students would pay per credit hour up to a certain point and then there would be a plateau rate after. We are currently looking at 12 to 18 hours being the plateau rate. So you pay per credit hour up to 11.5 credits, and then you would pay the adjusted plateau rate from 12 to 18 credits,” explained Vice President of Student Affairs Lew Cook. Many universities have turned to plateau tuition as a way of making college more affordable for students.
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Switching to a plateau tuition rate would be beneficial for students in a variety of ways. It allows for students who may not be able to afford more than 12 credit hours the ability to take more classes. This is because with the plateau rate a student who is taking 13 credits is paying the same as a student who is taking 17 credits. Essentially, the students are getting more for their money. This is especially beneficial for those students who want to take extra courses that aren’t for their major, like ROTC or certificate programs like the Pavlis Institute for Global Technological Leadership. “Students that are in a major that is pretty restricted right now don’t take extra hours because it costs them more,” said Cook. “This [plateau tuition] gives them the opportunity to take other classes that are of personal interest to them or something else that they want to learn about.”
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Additionally, plateau tuition is great for students who want to finish their major as quickly as possible. “It provides students who are interested an opportunity to take more classes and to shorten the time it takes to get their degree,” said Cook. Further, a plateau rate would be beneficial for
both the students and the university. With the plateau rate students are able to know how much to expect to pay which is a huge advantage. Many students need to have a set budget and knowing in advance what your tuition bill would be is very beneficial. Also when a student drops a class
or decides to change their schedule the cost is always something that is affected. If a plateau rate were put in place, as long as the student was past paying per credit hour, then the tuition bill wouldn’t be affected, which benefits both the students Continued on page 2
New Michigan Tech mobile app NICOLE IUTZI Lode Writer An increasing number of universities began producing applications for smart devices, giving Michigan Tech a reason to do the same. Director of Administrative Services for the University, Jarrod Karau, said “Mobile devices are increasing on campus, making it really easy to access information.” This past summer, Michigan Tech released its own smart phone
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application. A survey given out in the spring of 2012 asked students about having a mobile application for use, and what information they would want included if there was a mobile app. Information gathered from the survey served as a basis for the first version of the app, which was developed on April of 2012. By July, the app had been sent to the Apple Store. The second version of the app is currently in use and Continued on page 2
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Photo courtesy of Jarrod Karau
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