Language Class and Credit Hour Cost

Parent Cafe
1

<p>While I continue to be frustrated to find a degree program that will serve my interests, there is a language I am very interested in taking, that will help my career, that is hard to find, and that is offered at a local private college. Best of all, it’s offered two nights per week, and even with my travel schedule there’s a good chance I can attend at least 80% of the classes. Oh, and there’s room in the class, too - 12 people are registered for 25 seats. </p>

<p>Am I wrong, or is there something wrong with this pricing scenario:</p>

<p>To enroll in the college, and take the class, it’s $1350 per credit hour, and it’s a three credit hour class. So nearly $4,000 for one semester of this language - and I would need the full two years of it that are currently available to be able to leverage the knowledge for business interests. </p>

<p>Alternatively, I could apply for - and enroll in - the bachelor of general studies program. This would require matriculating with the intention of getting a degree. I do not want to do this, because the available areas of concentration are useless to me, AND, I do NOT want to invest four years in a general studies program (sorry, would prefer an actual, “real” degree), however, if I did apply, and enroll, and choose an area of concentration that requires a foriegn language, then, I could enroll in this language class - and the cost would be only $400 per credit hour, or only $1,200 for one semester of the language. </p>

<p>I called the college, and essentially asked, if it’s $400/credit hour to do it this way, why cannot I simply enroll just for this one class at the $400/credit hour? They don’t offer it “that way”, they said. </p>

<p>What am I missing here? It’s the same class, and the same information, regardless of which door one enters to get to the class. And I’m the same theoretical student…so…why shouldn’t I be able to get the class at the $400/CH price regardless?</p>

2

<p>So what happens if you enroll in the degree program, and don’t finish? That is, take your languages, then quit. Kids drop out all the time.</p>

<p>Or do they have a required sequence or core that they will make you take first? Or a required number of classes per semester?</p>

3

<p>Binx, it won’t work. I need/want all four available semesters of this language; the way the degree program is structured, I’d never be able to get away with avoiding the required goofy stuff that I just stone cold don’t want to take.</p>

<p>They did offer a third alternative - they said they would have someone from their Intensive Language Institute “get back” to me with a “quote for one on one instruction”, but, that’s not what I want, either. They said that in the class, I’d be with undergrads, but, I pointed out, first of all, I actually LIKE college students and it wouldn’t bother me to be in a class with them; more importantly, people tend to learn more when they’re learning together, cross-polination and all that, which, the person on the phone agreed with…</p>

<p>Auditing isn’t really an option either - the price is not much better and then there’s no credit…</p>

<p>Maybe I should go whine to the president of the university…</p>

4

<p>Is there some way that it would benefit the school to give you a discount? </p>

<p>Seems to me that their tuition policy probably didn’t just happen by chance; they probably have a good reason (whatever it may be) for discouraging people from just dropping in for a course or two. </p>

<p>I’d suggest a little good ole fashioned barter. They’re business people just like you are. You probably have something they want. If they have a program where they offer non-credit courses to the community, maybe you could give a couple of guest lectures about your experiences–starting your own business from scratch, landing sought after clients, building a network with other entrepeneurs, etc. Or maybe you could sell them your product (whatever it is) at an equivalent discount. Or offer to write brochures for other business people about the long term economic benefits of their language lessons. </p>

<p>But with that said, there are probably a lot better and more cost effective ways to learn a foreign language than by spending $12,000 (or even $4000) to go two nights a week for two years. I really don’t think this is going to make you fluent enough to help you in business, unless you only need a reading knowledge.</p>

5

<p>I guess I need some understanding of how education is priced. For example, if I want a pound of steak, and I go to the store that sells the steak, I pay the same price regardless of if I park up front and enter at the main entrance, or park out back and sneak in through the loading dock. I’m still going to pay the same price, no matter what. Perhaps there would be a discount for quantity - but, that quantity would have to be substantial, I think.</p>

<p>In the case of this class, the price discount is within the guidelines of the adult reentry program, and the stipulations are that one cannot have a college degree, one must be a certain age, one must not have been enrolled in any college the last two years, etc. I meet all of the criteria, regardless of how I want to approach the class, so…</p>

<p>Maybe the college wishes to discourage a transient environment?</p>

6

<p>I suspect that’s the reason, but there could be others. I can think of another two or three, but I don’t want to speculate, because it really doesn’t matter. As a private entity, it’s entirely up to them to set their pricing schedule so long as they don’t discriminate.</p>

<p>But using your steak analogy, volume discounts are actually pretty common at the grocery store, especially the meat counter. The family pack is cheaper per ounce than smaller packages. And a lot of stores offer special bonuses and discounts to customers who spend over a certain amount.</p>

7

<p>Think of it more like airline ticket pricing. It makes no sense. The guy sitting next to you on the plane may have paid a very different price depending on when he bought the ticket or who he bought it from. I actually think you would learn more from one on one instruction.</p>

8

<p>Don’t you want to go around the plane sometimes asking people what they paid? LOL.</p>