I am frustrated with the lack of options the Student Body has in our choices for Student Body President, namely with both candidates’ opposition against block tuition. I am tired of hearing about the “vast majority” of students who take less than 15 credit hours because that is incorrect.
The average number of credit hours taken by a UF student per semester is between 14 and 15. The average student wouldn’t pay much more, as the opponents of block tuition say. I also disagree about the characterization of the type of student who takes 12 credit hours a semester. Spending a fifth year at UF is expensive, and students who can’t afford school are better finishing their degrees on time and getting a job to pay off loans.
Block tuition will not be a large revenue generator. The university may make a few million dollars, which in terms of the total UF budget is not much money. It’s intended to raise our abysmal five-year graduation rates, which penalize us in national rankings and prevent UF from rising to the top of the charts of national universities. Also, every student who takes an unnecessary fifth year to finish a degree robs another of the chance to be a Gator because of UF’s space limitations .
Block tuition rewards students who explore classes they might not otherwise. It rewards students who finish their degrees on time and who choose to challenge themselves. While some programs such as engineering might take a hit from block tuition, the difference is largely negligible, and the benefits of increasing the values of our degrees by increasing the image of our university are worth the cost.
Giving students incentives to graduate on time is a goal that most of us should strive for. I have no problem with people taking an easier course load, but it is fair to ask those students to pay more.
I plan on voting for block tuition in the SG referendum.
Travis Hornsby is a UF statistics and economics junior.
