College costs.
That's something that we all know. It's costing so much now to attend a traditional four-year institution such as Ball State University that it seems that college administrators are looking for ways to make it more affordable.
On Tuesday, Ball State President Jo Ann Gora and Ivy Tech Community College President Thomas Snyder signed an agreement at the Indiana Statehouse for another 2+2 program between the institutions, designed to ease the way for elementary education students to obtain a degree. After completing two years of coursework at any Ivy Tech campus and earning an associate's degree, students can then transfer all their 62 credit hours to Ball State and complete a bachelor's degree, beginning July 1, 2010.
At first glance, this might seem to devalue the first two years of education at Ball State. If we can get essentially the same education at Ivy Tech and save money, why would students go to Ball State at the beginning of their college career?
It's even more disheartening to think about senior education majors, who pumped so much money into Ball State, witnessing the now cheaper alternative.
However, if for some, money is the only obstacle in the way of a college degree, this agreement offers a bridge to the other side. In-state tuition and fees at Ball State have increased 15 percent in four years — from $6,180 in 2006-2007 to $7,830 in 2009-2010.
The increasing prices are unlikely to slow down. FinAid.org, a Web site with financial aid information and resources, says tuition typically increases at twice the rate of inflation, on average increasing by 8 percent each school year.
Agreements such as these are becoming more common to offset ever increasing college prices. Indiana University and Ivy Tech have nearly the same education degree agreement already, and Purdue University and Ivy Tech have an associate's to bachelor's degree program for industrial technology, among others. It simply makes financial sense.
Not all programs at Ball State are offered in a 2+2 format with Ivy Tech. If students eventually graduate with a degree from Ball State, does it really matter where they received half of their education? Employers don't typically ask in an interview where you spent your first two years of college.
Traditional students — bright-eyed, bushy-tailed freshmen right out of high school — are still going to come to Ball State for the full four years. This new initiative is aimed at nontraditional students, single parents and working adults who may not be able to afford secondary education otherwise, which is even more apparent considering the two final years of work through Ball State can be completed online.
If this agreement helps Ball State achieve greater diversity and richness among student backgrounds, then why not embrace it?
Read More
Ball State ends 2025 season with loss to Miami in MAC Softball Championship semifinal
By Zach Carter / YesterdayBall State ended the year with a 8-0 loss to Miami.
Cardinals elect a new pope, the first American pope in history
By Staff Reports / 3 days agoCardinal Robert Prevost, an American missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, according to the Associated Press (AP).
'A blue-collar team:' Ball State run rules Akron in opening game of MAC Softball Championship
By Zach Carter / 4 days agoNo. 4 Ball State topped No. 5 Akron 9-1 in the Cardinals' first game of the Mid-American Conference Softball Championship Wednesday afternoon.
