Should Distance Learning Come at a Discounted Rate

Getting a university degree is known to be expensive in the US. Parents save money for years to send their kids to college. Millions of students have to work while studying and get a student loan to be able to fund their education.

Of course, a bachelor’s degree opens many doors. Graduates are more likely to land a well-paid job compared to those who don’t have a diploma. Yet, it still doesn’t justify the skyrocketing tuition fees.

Moreover, it’s not usually the only fee you should pay if you think of getting a degree. Other expenses, such as housing, boarding, books, and educational services, should also be included in the price list.

Even if you plan to focus on education and spend 100% of your time studying, you’ll have to essay order on EssayHub once or twice per month. The academic burden is so huge today that it’s almost impossible not to use help.

Naturally, when the world was forced to shift to remote learning, many students started questioning if paying a full-time price was just. After all, remote education did bring about many changes, so the pricing policy should’ve been reconsidered.

In this article, let’s review arguments for and against imposing a discount on distance learning.

Why Distance Learning Should Cost Less

Fewer Hours of In-Person Student Work

Professors normally spend less time interacting with students and teaching them when they practice remote learning. The goal is to deliver training material and answer students’ questions. The number of individual sessions is minimized.

That’s why many students have to turn to external organizations for academic help. Moreover, they often look for writers who can offer both quality writing services and educational assistance. According to reviews, in particular writepaper reviews, students on remote learning look for mentors rather than just writers. Sure thing, the market looks for ways to respond to this need.

Furthermore, offline education requires lots of improvisation and preparation from professors. They have to come to school prepared to teach and answer questions students might have.

However, students studying remotely usually ask fewer questions. They tend to look for answers themselves, so they only ask those questions answers to which they failed to find.

But if teachers spend less time with/on students, why isn’t it still reflected in the price of the program?

Lower Maintenance Costs

Universities and colleges as educational institutions have huge expenses. They have to cover enormous bills for utilities and maintenance. Most of them do that out of their own budget. Naturally, if students and faculty members are at home, these expenses are much lessened, and this should be reflected in the price of a degree program.

Automation

Remote education provides room for automation. Professors who digitize their materials once can use them for many different classes. Moreover, modern automation tools significantly cut the amount of time they once spent on miscellaneous duties. This must be reflected in the prices as well.

Extracurriculars

Normally, the price for in-person education includes certain extracurricular involvements that students can choose to attend. If they study virtually, they are unlikely to attend such things. That means this component should also be removed from the degree program pricing policy.

Why Distance Learning Shouldn’t Cost Less

Market Balance

The prices for degree programs regulate – or filter – the number of specialists, prepared every year. If the price falls too low, education becomes too affordable. The market will have too many professionals who’ll struggle to find a job. This can seriously affect the employment success of universities.

Quality Is Not Changed

Basically, remote or not, the quality of education remains unchanged. The goal is still to provide students with hands-on knowledge that they can successfully apply later. Their certificates are a confirmation that they have completed the course and are ready to work. They don’t specify the way the knowledge was obtained – in-person or virtually. Therefore, a university or college is not in any way obliged to change the price.

IT Infrastructure

To enable online or remote education, universities and colleges have to invest a lot in IT. Also, they needed to go the extra mile and expand their IT departments to meet the needs of a growing student population and follow the trends. This is not cheap, obviously, so these capital investments are naturally reflected in the program costs.

Takeaway

As you can see, there is no answer to the question if the price of distance learning should be different from in-person education. Both sides – universities and students – have their arguments that deserve to be heard.

We, however, can hardly guess if the prices for education will ever go down.

The reputation and recognition of American universities and colleges are only growing, so educational institutions are not interested in any price deductions. What’s more, there are still lots of domestic and international students ready to compete for a seat in a certain degree program regardless of its price.