UT tuition ideas

The KNS did a story on the possible tuition increases at UT Knoxville. I have said in the past that when you want something you need to reward it and make (or keep) it cheap to increase demand. When there is something that you don't want or need but demand is still high you increase fees or penalties for it.

Education is no different.

An education from UTK is in high demand. We have limited space. The state has needs. We need nurses, math and science teachers who will stay in Tennessee and teach. Instead of always looking at post education as the only way to sway people into a career path why not look at ways to sway them when they are making the education decision for that path?

Lower tuition, increases in lottery scholarship funding in needed majors, a little more flexibility with the grade requirements to keep the scholarships, tuition loan forgiveness if they enter a needed field after graduation in Tennessee. All could help steer undecided kids into fields we need. The private side is steping up but For some reason most people want to do only a blanket approach for education and expect a different result.

Now some kids think long term and follow what they truly love or what they want to do in the future but some kids just want a degree so they can get a job. They may be just as capable to become a potential teacher or nurse as they are to go for any other degree.

When one of those degree seeking undecided kids is looking at two possible degrees, what degree do you think they will take? The one in physics or nursing that looks more difficult, where most GPAs are in the lo to mid 2's so he has a higher potential to loose a lottery scholarship or the one in deep sea basket weaving?

The kids get the same amount of lottery money, They both will have the same amount of student loans to pay off when they graduate. Their odds of loosing their scholarship is low to non existent in basket weaving because everyone gets A's and B's, they can party all the time and still keep the same amount of lottery money and when it is all said and done they both have a degree from UT. Sound like a tough choice?

Hmmmmmm....... Lets think about that one for a moment.

I hear we are having a run on scuba masks as we speak.