Purdue University North Central students will soon have the opportunity to reduce the cost of earning a bachelor's degree thanks to a new tuition discount plan. Beginning in the Fall 2014 semester, PNC students will receive a 10 percent rate reduction for each credit hour taken beyond 12 hours per semester. The discount plan is designed to provide financial incentives for students to increase the number of credit hours taken each semester and encourage them to graduate in four years.
Last Fall, PNC students averaged a campus record 12 credit hours for the semester. Even though average course load is trending in a positive direction, it is important for students to understand that completing 12 credit hours each semester means that they will need 10 semesters, or five years, to complete a typical 120 credit hour bachelor's degree. By comparison, a student who earns 15 credit hours each semester will complete the degree in four years, save more than $500 under the new discount plan and enter their chosen profession sooner.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for PNC students," said Dr. James B. Dworkin, PNC chancellor. "If students take just one additional three-hour class each semester, they will not only save a significant sum of money, but they will graduate on time to enter their careers a year earlier and start earning the income that comes with earning a Purdue University degree. This tuition discount program will help to keep our PNC students on their path to success."
A recent report issued by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education noted that students who delay completing their degrees pay more tuition dollars and lose potential wages and career opportunities.
Teresa Lubbers, Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education noted, "Earning an on-time degree will always be the best and most affordable path to college graduation."