Miami University lowers online tuition for winter and summer terms

BY ALTHEA E. PERLEY | Miami University journalism student

Beginning this coming January, Miami University is lowering tuition costs for online classes by 20 percent during summer and winter terms for Ohio residents. Announced in the June minutes from the Board of Trustees meeting, under the Ohio State House Bill 64 Affordability Act, the institution received a 5 percent reduction cost and wants to pay it forward to its students.

“It wasn’t advertised, it wouldn’t be in our purview to leverage the bill or the advertising, however as an institution we are excited to lower the cost for our students,” said Dave Sauter, university registrar.

Managed by the bursar's office, this 20 percent reduction of instructional and general fees applies for all undergraduate Miami classes taught online for instate residents. Currently instate tuition is $544.76 per credit during the winter and summer terms. Beginning with this coming winter term, Ohio students will pay roughly $435 per credit for all courses taught entirely online. Hybrid courses -- ones with some online learning -- do not count.

Senior Assistant Registrar for Technology, Systems, and Reporting, Tim Kuykendoll said at some 360 classes could be affected.

“There were about 230 different courses offered online this past summer and 130 online courses during the previous winter term," he said.

The university is working hard to convert more classes into online-only offerings. Former Miami President David Hodge, for instance, will teach a geology class online in January.

This coming winter, Miami’s registrar and eLearning departments say that half or more of the classes offered will be online or hybrid. “We want to offer options that are easier and more accessible so that you don’t have to transfer courses from another institution,” said Sauter.

Miami is currently completing revisions, for fall 2017, to its baccalaureate graduation requirements to cut four credit hours from most degrees. Along with the tuition reduction, the Board of Trustees minutes announced that more articulation agreements will go into effect with other institutions.

Articulation agreements allow Miami students to complete classes offered by other institutions and transfer them to Miami. It is essentially transferology which will help out-of-state students potentially cut the cost of tuition as well. For now, this is especially important for Miami’s regional campuses because it allows students to study for two years at another university and then finish their degree at Miami.

“We want our students to think of their college education as a whole degree plan, not one college term,” said Sauter. Souter, along with Beth Rubin, who works as assistant provost for e-Learning, hopes that all students understand that online classes don’t mean easier courses.

Although “the state doesn’t distinguish between online and face-to-face courses,” said Rubin, these classes are still taught with the same standards as those of a classroom setting.

It takes hours of work to convert a class into an online format, and for students, the class itself means more accountability and more time spent communicating through video and phone calls.

Students have received the changes positively. “I’m excited to now have the option to take more credits at home. It’s a great incentive,” said senior Ali Treen. However out-of-state students are hoping more cost effective options will be available to them in the future.

Photo: This screen shot from Miami's web site show summer and winter term tuition costs for out-of-state and in-state students. -- Photo by Althea E. Perley