Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
South Texas College has introduced a new Simplified Tuition Rate, a flat-rate model, designed to take the confusion out of paying for classes, that is trending among colleges nationwide.
Currently, only seven colleges in Texas have adopted the model and STC is one of them. The idea behind the shift – transparency and simplicity.
Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Mary Elizondo said STC’s new simplified tuition rate allows students to easily determine what their tuition will be for the semester.
“With the exception of student activity fees, all other fees have been rolled into one, making invoices and statements much easier to understand,” she said. “It’s important that all students understand their tuition and fees and what they’re paying for.”
STC has been working toward this goal for several years, said Elizondo of the new tuition model.
“It’s a win-win. Not only is this a win for students, but also for our staff and faculty who help students daily with questions about their statements,” she said.
With the Simplified Tuition Rate, Norma Jimenez, Director of Student Accounts and Bursar, said staff in her department now have an easier approach to answering student questions, and the new Tuition and Fees calculator housed on the STC website plays a big role.
The tuition and fees calculator gives an estimated tuition and fees amount after a student completes a selected drop-down menu for residency and enters their desired amount of credit hours, which also contains an option for Nursing and Allied Health and Competency-Based Education students, who have individual fees for laboratory classes and other instructional and equipment services.
“The calculator is user-friendly; it has proven to be simple to use by our staff and many of our students,” said Jimenez. “This definitely provides clarity and eliminates any surprises.”
The tuition model was first introduced in a focus group setting made up of 40 students from Student Affairs and Student Activities across 15 different programs, who gave positive feedback on the new model.
One student said, “This is a great way to know our costs; it’s a set amount and helps us plan. It eliminates the stress of calculating all the fees.”
Another added that, “This all-inclusive method is less confusing, it’s easier…I like it. It’s really a great idea.”
“The sentiment from students was unanimous; ranging from easier to understand, less confusing to stress free and focused,” said Elizondo. “The new model has proven to be effective, efficient and many feel confident about it.”
For more information on STC’s Simplified Tuition Rate and to use the new Tuition and Fees Calculator, visit https://finance.southtexascollege.edu/businessoffice/cashiers/rates.html
