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SALT LAKE CITY - If a proposal being studied by a task force in Florida is adopted, universities will be able to charge higher fees to undergrads seeking degrees in fields the state deems less employable, according to an article in the Deseret News.
But here in Utah, a very different system is producing stellar results.
The goal in Florida is to encourage undergraduates to major in fields like science and math by making tuition cheaper for those areas. An education in the arts would come with a higher price tag.
In contrast, the University of Utah has found success using an approach that is nearly the opposite -- fields with higher employment potential like business and engineering are more expensive.
Though undergraduate tuition at the U. is the same for most degrees, graduate degree cost varies widely. The graduate degrees that come at the highest price: law, nursing, MBA and psychology, to name a few.
University officials say despite increased tuition in these programs, students keep signing up.
"It has increased enrollment," said Sandy Hughes, the director of budget at the U. "I think they also accept the extra cost because they see the extra benefit and that's the ideal situation."
For more on the tuition systems being used in Florida and Utah, along with the statistics that support their success, check out the article "If you like the arts, Florida may not be the place for you" on deseretnews.com.
