Tuition is already calculated per semester hour, and most universities (state ones, anyway) are liberal about accepting transfer credit (my kids frequently would take the same course at community college and transfer it in, even when they were enrolled at four-year college; now that many courses are available online, this is a much more …
Tuition is already calculated per semester hour, and most universities (state ones, anyway) are liberal about accepting transfer credit (my kids frequently would take the same course at community college and transfer it in, even when they were enrolled at four-year college; now that many courses are available online, this is a much more viable proposition). We should go a step further and allow students to bid what they are willing to pay for a course (perhaps constrained within a tuition budget), even a particular section or instructor. The price signal sent by a market-based system could allow resources to be allocated more rationally.
In the real world, over the past few years I have seen growth in certificate programs for people who do hands-on work in health care, IT, and many blue-collar occupations. I have no idea where or how those numbers are collected, but they are having a real impact on the job market. In many cases, although a four-year degree is not required for the job or the certificate, the people getting the certificates are graduates of four-year institutions who are looking for jobs in fields that have nothing to do with their majors. This is the future.
Tuition is already calculated per semester hour, and most universities (state ones, anyway) are liberal about accepting transfer credit (my kids frequently would take the same course at community college and transfer it in, even when they were enrolled at four-year college; now that many courses are available online, this is a much more viable proposition). We should go a step further and allow students to bid what they are willing to pay for a course (perhaps constrained within a tuition budget), even a particular section or instructor. The price signal sent by a market-based system could allow resources to be allocated more rationally.
In the real world, over the past few years I have seen growth in certificate programs for people who do hands-on work in health care, IT, and many blue-collar occupations. I have no idea where or how those numbers are collected, but they are having a real impact on the job market. In many cases, although a four-year degree is not required for the job or the certificate, the people getting the certificates are graduates of four-year institutions who are looking for jobs in fields that have nothing to do with their majors. This is the future.