students work in the WE Over IVIe commu-

nity farm at Paul Quinn Coliege that was

Holding converted from a footbaii fieid in 2010.

The program teaches students to become
"servant leaders."

the Line
private schools that froze tuition
last fall are Burlington College in
Burlington, Vt., Ancilla College in
Donaldson, Ind., Tabor College in
Hillsboro, Kan. and Franklin Pierce
Colleges choose to make big University in Rindge, N.H.
moves to battle tuition increases. But some schools are taking a
more visionary approach. They are
i.:a ^ i ill a rising to President Obama's challenge
for creative, innovative solutions to
the problem of rising college costs.
Obama has emphasized that a quality
education is not a privilege; it's an
economic necessity. He suggests that
universities share responsibility with
the government to keep college as an
affordable option.

Attempting a solution
Patil Quinn College in Dallas is
seeking federal recognition as a
work college, which means each
student is required to hold a job on
campus. At Patil Quinn, a portion
of the money each student earns
goes directly toward the tuition
bill. Kendrea Tannis, the dean of
the work program, wants students
to connect what they are doing in
school to the life skills they learn
on the job. The work program not
only makes ttiition more affordable,
but also helps show them that their
education is an investment and that
a paycheck doesn't have to be the
primary motivator for a strong work
ethic, she says.
Harrison College concluded that
. the rising cost of tuition was driving
iven continual tuition hikes, students and parents are feeling people away from higher education
the weight of an increase in debt and the panic from a and decided tofireezetuition in 2006.
° ^ Its incumbent upon all of
decrease in cash. Students aren't the only ones feeling the us in higher education to look for
financial pain. Hikes in tuition are negatively impacting colleges and innovative ways to make it affordable
^ education,"
for everyonesaysto Catherine Stiver,
attain a college
universities across the country, as well. the marketing director at Harrison
Moody's Investors
In an outlook Services
report releasedreveals that
in January, tmiversities
that areabout
concluded spending
a thirdmore than they
of colleges and College. Eor the spring 2013 semester,
nearly half of all universities have reported can afford. Harrison College opted to also reduce the
lower enrollment for fall 2012. Moreover, Several schools are responding by cost of tuition by 10 percent for certain
many schools have increased tuition refusing to raise tuition. Public schools majors. The nine programs selected,
significantly in recent years but still struggle in Arizona and Texas recently decided to including a B.S. in project management,
to make ends meet Consulting firm Bain freeze in-state tuition, as did many private B.S. in information technology and A.A.S.
& Company produced an analysis in 2012 schools across the country. Among the in paralegal, are meant to give graduates

8 Diverse I April 25, 2013 www.diverseeducation.com

 the skills necessary to obtain a job quickly.
Since the school implemented the new
policy, Harrison has recorded an increase in
enrollment and retention.
Duquesne University in Pittsburgh also
chose to address the state of the job market.
In 2011, Duquesne had only 60 freshmen
enroll in the undergraduate program at the
School of Education — a significant drop
from the 90 students who enrolled the year
before. According to associate provost Paul-
James Cukarma, because of the economy,
students were shying away from the degree.
"We know educators are key to society, and
we have a leading teacher program," says
Cukarma.
Realizing the value of a degree in
education, the administration now offers
a scholarship that cuts the cost of tuition
in half. As a result, Duquesnes School of
Education had 120 freshmen enroll in
fàU 2012, and it noticed an increase in
ethnic, gender and geographic diversity.
Cukanna holds the scholarship up as
an example of how institutions should
"respond strategically to market forces that
they do not control."
Seton Hall University has a history
of making school affordable for high-
achieving students. And yet, public schools
in the state, such as Rutgers University, were
still more appealing to students because of
the lower sticker price. Therefore, b^inning
with freshmen in M 2012, Seton Hall
lowered the price of its tuition to match
Above: Participants pose at Seton Haii's Women s Conference 2 0 1 3 . Beiow: Harrison Coliege holds
the tuition at public imiversities for high- a financial education class, sponsored by Indy's Campaign for Financiai Fitness.
achieving applicants. The discount amounts
to more than $22,000. student whose family completes the FAFSA of the Center for College Affordability and
"The financial landscape being what it and makes an official visit to the university. Productivity, says that a lot of extra cost
is, we wanted to make sure that we were Students have the option to purchase new, comes from schools trying to compete
doing our part to make a college education used, electronic or rental books from with other schools, so they add on more
more affordable," says Alyssa McCloud, the university bookstore with the funds. expensive initiatives, like nabbing high-
Seton Halls vice president of enrollment Kathy Harmon, the dean of admissions profile professors or adding a technology
McCloud also emphasized that Seton Hall's and financial aid, says the policy is a "great wing to the library, prompting other
public tuition rate program is a way for benefit for students at aD income ranges." colleges to follow suit
the school to be transparent about what She emphasizes that the university's Paul Quinn focuses on changing the
students can expect to pay over four years. motivations were not self-serving. "It education model by becoming a work
was not about increasing enrollment and college. Seton Hall wants to reward
Considering additionai costs improving retention. Both of those areas students who ¡jerform well. Duquesne is
Most talk about collegefinancesrevolves are very strong for us. It's truly about being concentrating on building up a talented
around tuition, but another significant transparent and woridng with families to group of young people with degrees in
expense is books. According to the College make this possible." One positive change education. By iimovatively addressing one
Board, the average student at a public she has noticed is that she no longer meets aspect of the problem of rising tuition, each
university spends about $1,200 each year with students whose families figured out of these schools is helping both students
on books. In order to help with this how to pay for tuition, but then didn't have and themselves.
necessary expense, the University of Dayton money for books. But HaD has worked to consider even
implemented a free book program two These colleges have all made the eflFort to more ways colleges can help cut costs. "We
years ago. The university contributes $500 step outside the box and implement creative don't have enough institutions who realize
each semester to a book fund for every solutions. Josh Hall, the associate director what their niche is," he muses. H
www.diverseeducation.com April 25, 2013 I Diverse 9
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