Should Engineers Pay Less for College Than English Majors ...

Should students majoring in engineering, science, health care or technology ? all fields in demand in the job market ? have to pay less for college than those majoring in history, philosophy, anthropology or English? The governor of Florida says he thinks so, at least at Florida?s 12 state universities.

Read an article about this proposal, then tell us how you feel about this idea. What do you plan to major in? Why?

In ?Florida May Reduce Tuition for Select Majors,? Lizette Alvarez writes:

Rick Scott, businessman turned politician, campaigned for governor in 2010 with promises to run Florida like a successful business ? more efficiency, lower costs, less hand-wringing and measurable results.

Now, looking for more value on the remaining dollars, Governor Scott and Republican lawmakers are prodding Florida?s 12 state universities to find ways to steer students toward majors that are in demand in the job market.

The message from Tallahassee could not be blunter: Give us engineers, scientists, health care specialists and technology experts. Do not worry so much about historians, philosophers, anthropologists and English majors.

To nudge students toward job-friendly degrees, the governor?s task force on higher education suggested recently that university tuition rates be frozen for three years for majors in ?strategic areas,? which would vary depending on supply and demand. An undergraduate student would pay less for a degree in engineering or biotechnology ? whose classes are among the most expensive for universities ? than for a degree in history or psychology. State financing, which has dropped drastically in the past five years, would be expected to make up the tuition gap.

Students: Tell us ?

• Do you think a system like this would nudge students toward ?job-friendly? degrees in high-need areas like technology and science?
• Do you think this system is fair? Do you think it is a good idea?
• Do you think studying the humanities? the arts, English and history ? is worthwhile, even if those majors are not as in demand for jobs? Why or why not?
• Do you agree with the governor that, during a time when generous state financing for higher education is no longer an option and jobs are scarce, universities need to be practical about the value of their degrees and evolve with the economy?
• What do you plan to major in? Why? How ?job friendly? do you think that major is? What do you plan to do with it after college?

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Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

Source: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/should-engineers-pay-less-for-college-than-english-majors/

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