The University of Arizona is offering new choices for earning a college degree - with new, lower price tags for students and taxpayers at different locations.
Last spring, Gov. Jan Brewer challenged the state universities to offer lower-cost degree programs. Each is coming up with its own plan, and the Arizona Board of Regents is considering a new tiered tuition system that could be part of the tuition voting in March.
The UA has a model that leads to 10,000 new students in low-cost programs in the next 10 years. Some programs are under way already, and others begin next year.
The model is based on three core principles: lower and more predictable tuition, matching state support, and minimal capital investment.
From there, the UA can build "all sorts of options that will be priced so it's less expensive in terms of state support and less expensive in terms of tuition paid, but still has an extraordinarily high-quality student experience," Provost Meredith Hay said.
Here's what you need to know.
• Tuition for Arizona residents would be set at the federal Pell grant level - currently $5,350 - plus a surcharge, Vice Provost Mike Proctor said.
President Obama has proposed making Pell grants available to more students and tying the award level to inflation.
Meanwhile, tuition for main-campus programs could increase to between $9,000 and $9,200 in two years, with most students paying additional program fees.
• The UA would ask for a matching contribution from the state, Proctor said.
The match is a bargain at about two-thirds of what the state pays for a student on the main campus now, he said. If the state doesn't pay its share, tuition would be higher, he said.
• They're not talking about new campuses. The model uses community college facilities and faculty members, plus streaming classes online or on interactive television, Hay said. The UA would hire community college faculty members or adjuncts to teach the classes, she said, and it would pay main-campus faculty members to design the curriculum.
Educational menu
Using the three principles, the UA has come up with a menu of options for getting a degree. Administrators call these choices "pathways." Here are examples:
• Starting a bachelor's degree at a community college.
Students can jointly enroll at the UA and Pima Community College or Cochise College. The UA also is in talks with Arizona Western College in Yuma.
The agreements keep the cost low for students by allowing them to receive financial aid if they're taking a full load of classes from the two institutions. In the past, a student taking half a load at PCC and half a load at the UA would be ineligible for financial aid at either school.
The schools are working together to map out seamless transfer programs. For example, a student who finishes general education courses at a community college may need one more semester of chemistry to go on to a chemistry degree at the UA. If the schools can partner to offer that one more class, the transition is easier for the student, Proctor said.
• Earning a transfer-free bachelor's degree at a community college.
The UA and PCC are partnering to offer 12 UA South programs entirely at Pima campuses. Already, 118 full-time-equivalent students are enrolled, Proctor said.
More community college partnerships are in the works. Hay said programs will be tailored to meet the work force needs of different Arizona communities.
• Starting a bachelor's degree in high school.
The UA will help students start college while they're still in high school through science, technology, engineering and math "academies."
Students can jointly enroll in a high school and a community college. They'll finish high school with all of their general education requirements completed, finish a few more courses at the community college, and then be eligible to finish a bachelor's degree at the UA.
Two partnerships have begun. Buena High School in Sierra Vista is working with Cochise College. Yuma High School is working with Arizona Western College.
Students will pay $360 for each high school class.
On StarNet: Go to azstarnet.com/ education for more articles about the UA and K-12 schools.
Five pathways to get a UA degree
The UA is working to make some degree programs more modular, so students can map out a program that fits their needs. For example, Vice Provost Mike Proctor outlined these potential pathways for a management degree.
• Taking an Eller College of Management program leading to a bachelor's degree in business management at the main campus.
• Taking a UA South program leading to a bachelor's degree in applied science with an emphasis in supervision.
• Starting at an accelerated high school program that leads to UA admission.
• Starting with eight classes over two years at Pima Community College and transferring to Eller.
• Earning 75 credits at a community college, 15 credits from Northern Arizona University online, and 30 credits from the UA.
See for yourself
Find a UA handout on the pathways model online at beardown.ca/ts/fj on the Campus Correspondent blog.
Contact reporter Becky Pallack at bpallack@azstarnet.com
