Task Groups

 






Differential Graduate Tuition Task Group Charge

Creating a Shared Vision

Background

Board of Governors' policy has a provision for institutions to charge differential graduate tuition if approved by the Chancellor.

"BOG delegates to the chancellor approval of institutional graduate tuition rates for particular programs...Presidents may request annually, in conjunction with their budget request, graduate tuition rate requirements over and above the System's normal graduate tuition for high cost or market-specific graduate programs. These requests must substantiate the appropriateness of the tuition increase based on the following criteria:

  • The cost of instruction or delivery is higher than other graduate programs.
  • The level of service provided to the student is greater than for other programs.
  • Raising the level of tuition allows the university to offer programs that would not be available at the lower rate."

Purpose

To explore opportunities and challenges to creating differential graduate tuition and make recommendations to President's Cabinet by March 2010.

Charge

  1. Identify existing graduate programs that potentially meet the criteria of higher cost of delivery/instruction and/or greater level of service to students. Consideration should also be given to program costs by regional competitors. However, the group should note that market demand is not a criterion in the BOG policy.
  2. Identify a process by which potentially impacted units may provide input on effects on existing business practices, additional equipment requirements, software programming, the University website, marketing, and the like.
  3. Conduct a fiscal analysis that analyzes the potential amount of increased revenue resulting from differential tuition.
  4. In the final report make recommendations on:
    1. Which programs meet the BOG criteria and what the tuition should be for each of those programs;
    2. Potential positive and negative aspects of a move to charging differential tuition.
    3. If the institution moves forward with differential graduate tuition, a timeline and process for implementation that includes:
      • Discussion between the President and Chancellor on the programs and tuitions proposed for differential tuition and approval of the request by PASSHE
      • Necessary modifications to existing business practices and systems that allows the institution to track and record tuition charges by program
      • Communication with the Council of Trustees, students, faculty, and others affected by the changes.
      • The semester in which the changes become effective