University Leaders Preparing for ‘Block’ Tuition

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THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, March 31, 2017 ………. Florida university presidents said they are ready to deal with a developing legislative mandate to have block tuition on their campuses by the fall of 2018, but warned the new system won’t come without challenges.

In interviews at the Florida Board of Governors meeting this week, a half-dozen of the university leaders expressed reservations about the cost, the impact on part-time students, and the unique characteristics of their schools as they switch from charging students on a per-credit-hour basis for classes to charging a flat, per-semester fee.

The basic idea behind block tuition is to provide a financial incentive for students to take more classes and earn undergraduate degrees in four years. For instance, they could pay a flat fee representing 12 credit hours but take 15 or more credit hours in classes each semester, more quickly reaching the 120 credit hours needed for most baccalaureate degrees.