Ryan Kerns
Online education is a much debated topic recently. Many arguments include whether or not it is harmful to have students learn on a computer rather than in a face-to-face format. Some scientists claim that students miss out on the social interaction that comes with a lecture and being around peers their age. For example, in Zane Berge’s article called Barriers to Online Teaching in Post-Secondary Institutions: Can Policy Changes Fix It?, he explains a few of the problems to include “faceless teaching, faculty culture, lack of technological assistance, and high cost of materials.” However, despite these problems, many people overlook the price of online education. More specifically, studies have shown that in many cases, online classes at certain colleges can cost even more than the same class on campus. For example, according to Marc Perry in his article called Online College Access Comes at a High Price for Students in the Chronicle of Higher Education, he claims that, “students may face bills that are ten percent or more than those in parallel face-to-face programs.” This means that students have to pay more money to stay at home and take a class on a couch than to go get personal time with a professor. This begs the question: what do students have to pay extra for? Perry goes on to say that, “universities may levy special fees on online students that traditional students don't have to pay. Almost one-fifth impose a one-time registration fee that averages $232, for example. Students may also get hit with extra fees for course materials, technology services, and individual courses.” These extra prices add up to make online education an expensive alternative to attending classes in person. Unfortunately, with the economy as low as it is, online classes are becoming harder and harder to afford. To make matters worse, many colleges have invested a lot of money into developing an online program to supplement their in-person lectures, and with people not being able to afford this new feature, many colleges are actually losing money. With all of the negatives adding up against online education and with the economy as bad as it is, why do the prices of an online degree keep rising?
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