Students think online college should cost less – Campus Technology

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Students think online college should cost less

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 07/21/20

A single-question survey of more than 17,000 incoming students in the United States and Canada found that students believe that online lessons don’t have the same value as in-person experience. The vast majority of U.S. students – 93% – told investigators that tuition fees should be lower for online programs. Another 6% said that tuition should have an “opt-out option” for services and facilities that are not available. Less than half a percent suggested there should be no change in tuition fees. In Canada, 88 percent of students felt that tuition fees should be lower; 11% wanted an opt-out option; and just under 1% thought there should be no change.

The survey was conducted by OneClass, a study site where people post their course notes. The company suggested in a blog post about the survey that student attitudes are based on several factors:

• The actual instruction is different when done online;
• Students lose access to services such as laboratories and libraries;
• It is more difficult to make friends online, which means that something is lost; and
• While there are so many cheaper options for online education, why pay four-year college rates?

As one student told the company in a previous survey, “A lot of the reason I go to college is about the college experience. I don’t see why I would pay $ 15,000 to go to UMass Amherst when I can just take a semester off. and take classes online at my local community college for much less. “