President Gates issues statement concerning tuition policy
2005/04/26
The following neo is a long one, but it covers a subject important to all students, and I encourage you to take time to read it through. In presenting the flat tuition proposal to the Board of Regents in March, I said that students had expressed concerns about various aspects of the new policy and that I would ask the Tuition Policy Advisory Council (TPAC) to review several ideas providing for greater flexibility. For nearly a month, TPAC has been reviewing these suggestions, weighing them against what is technically possible to do given what is legal in terms of state and federal financial aid rules, limitations in the capabilities of our present Student Information Management System, and what is fair for the largest number of students. Any change affecting tens of thousands of undergraduates inevitably will create problems and inconvenience for some. To minimize such problems and inconvenience, the TPAC has recommended, and I have approved, two changes in the announced policy to provide additional flexibility for all current students during a transition period. I describe the two changes below, as well as the appeals process we are creating for all those who believe their individual circumstances warrant exemption from flat tuition. BRIEF SUMMARY OF FLAT RATE TUITION POLICY As a reminder, the policy is intended to encourage students to take more hours each semester and thereby graduate closer to four years rather than in five or more. There is considerable pressure in the State Legislature for universities to move in this direction, especially those like Texas A&M where undergraduate enrollment is capped. In March, the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System approved a flat rate designated tuition and fee policy for Texas A&M University. The new flat rate policy will go into effect beginning with the fall semester of 2005. State mandated tuition, the software licensing fee, course fees and optional fees are not affected by the flat rate policy and will continue to be charged on a per semester credit hour or semester basis as before – though under the new policy any increase in course fees is capped at 5% per year. Under the new policy, designated tuition and applicable required fees will be charged as follows: - Part-time students (those taking 1-11 semester credit hours) will be charged tuition and fees based on the number of hours they take, plus course fees and other fees charged on a fixed rate per semester basis. - Full-time students (those taking 12 semester credit hours or more) will be charged a flat rate for designated tuition and most required fees, based on a 15 semester credit hour course load. Students are encouraged to take at least 15 semester credit hours to receive full value under the flat rate policy and will benefit from significant savings for hours in excess of 15. This policy applies only to the fall and spring semesters. Tuition and fees for summer terms will continue to be charged as before. Also, the flat rate policy does not apply to graduate students. REVISIONS TO THE POLICY In response to student concerns, TPAC has recommended, and I have approved, the following changes to the flat rate tuition policy. These policy revisions apply to all current undergraduate students who qualify and are intended to provide some flexibility in transitioning to the flat rate policy. 1. Rebate of tuition and fees for students who complete a total of 30 or more semester credit hours during a full academic year (fall, spring and summer of the same academic year). All current students who successfully complete at least 30 semester credit hours of coursework during the fall, spring and summer semesters of the same academic year may be eligible for a tuition rebate if the flat tuition policy caused them to be charged for more hours than they took during the two full semesters. For example, a student completing 12 semester credit hours in each of the fall and spring semesters under the flat rate policy will have paid an amount that would have allowed them to take 15 hours each semester at no additional cost. However, if that student completes 6 semester hours in the summer at Texas A&M and thus has completed 30 hours over the entire academic year, he or she would be entitled to a rebate for the difference between 12 and 15 hours in the spring and fall – or six hours. Because this can be confusing, a simple mathematical formula (it has to be simple so I can understand it) can be used to determine eligibility for a rebate. 30 hours minus the sum of hours completed in the fall (A) and spring (B) semesters equals the hours to be rebated: 30 – (A+B) = hours rebated. A couple of examples: - A student completes 13 hours in each of the fall and spring semesters and 4 hours in summer school, for a total of 30 completed semester credit hours. 30 – 26 = 4 hours to be rebated. - A student completes 16 hours in the fall semester, 14 in the spring and six in summer school. 30 – 30 = no rebate. - Finally, the example above. A student completes 12 hours in each of the fall and spring semesters and six hours in the summer. 30 – 24 = 6 hours to be rebated. Due to Federal student financial aid constraints and other considerations, any rebate will be calculated at the end of the summer semester and applied to tuition and fee charges if the student enrolls for the subsequent fall semester. Also, all 30 hours must be completed at Texas A&M University. Students not eligible for a rebate of flat tuition and fees are: - Undergraduates who enroll in Texas A&M University as new or readmitted students for the first time during the summer or fall of 2005, and thereafter. - Students who fail to register for the next fall semester following summer course work leading to 30 completed semester hours. - Students who fail to complete 30 semester credit hours. 2. Graduating seniors may be eligible for a rebate. Graduating seniors may be eligible for a rebate from a portion of the flat tuition charged for the semester in which they graduate if they need fewer than 15 hours to graduate that semester. The rebate will be granted automatically after the student has fulfilled the rebate requirements and has officially graduated. Seniors may receive a rebate in accordance with the following conditions: - Only currently enrolled students are eligible for the rebate. - Students entering Texas A&M University as a new or readmitted student during the summer or fall 2005 semesters and thereafter are not eligible. - Rebates will be applied against any outstanding charges to the University and/or, based on state and federal laws and regulations, to reduce the balance of institutional, state or federal loans first, before amounts are refunded to the student. We looked hard at trying to provide a rebate for both semesters preceding graduation if a senior required less than 30 hours to graduate, but limitations in our Student Information Management System and federal regulations relating to calculation of financial aid made this option unworkable. 3. The Appeals Panel The University Fiscal Appeals Panel will consider appeals involving issues related to university fiscal policy. Appeals will be considered when the student believes that extenuating circumstances in his or her life justify an exemption from the prevailing policy, such as flat rate tuition. Appeals must be submitted in written form and must be based on extenuating circumstances, such as (but not limited to) illness, injury, death in the family, call up for military service or learning disabilities. The following may be appealed to the Panel: undergraduate designated tuition, penalty for excessive time to graduation, extenuating circumstances culminating in withdrawal, waiver of non-resident tuition, $1000 tuition rebate, 45 hour limit on excess undergraduate hours, and penalty for repetition of a course more than twice. The University Fiscal Appeals Panel will include: - the chair, to be appointed by the Executive Vice President and Provost. - three faculty members (and one alternate), to be named by the Committee on Committees and approved by the Faculty Senate for a one year, renewable term. - three undergraduate student members (with two alternates), to be named by the Student Body President and the Speaker of the Student Senate from among a pool of applicants, for a one year, renewable term. - three graduate students (with two alternates), to be named by the President of the Graduate Student Council from among a pool of applicants for a one year, renewable, term. Appeals from undergraduate students will be considered by a panel consisting of the chair, three faculty members and three undergraduate students. Appeals from graduate students will be considered by a panel consisting of the chair, three faculty members and three graduate students. Detailed procedures, when complete, will be posted on the Student Government, Financial Aid and Student Business Services websites. In brief, a student wishing to appeal must first discuss the relevant fiscal policy in question with a designated appeals officer in the Bursar’s office. If the matter is not resolved, the student may file a written appeal to the Appeals Panel, which will meet at least twice each semester. In closing, to provide a little perspective, until about 15 years ago, a 15 hour course load (or more) was the norm at Texas A&M. Many students at that time, and earlier, also worked one or two jobs part-time and were involved in extracurricular activities. They also were enrolled in demanding programs such as engineering. I am told that with the explosive growth of the student body during that time, and the inability to hire additional faculty, the University’s capacity to provide adequate courses and sections led advisers to recommend a lower course load – often 12 hours. We are in the process of remedying the insufficient number of faculty to meet class demand and, in keeping with the desire of the legislature that students graduate more quickly, believe we must return to the earlier norm. Robert M. Gates President Texas A&M University 04/26/05 AggieDailyOffice of University RelationsTexas A&M University(979) 845-4641News Main
April 2005
