Summer attendance down at UNLV as cost for courses increases
Tuition has risen so much at UNLV that even summer school attendance is suffering, according to figures from the university.
A single course during the summer costs about $700 – not including books or special fees leveled in some courses.
As a result, summer school enrollment dropped 15 percent from 2007 to last year. Enrollment still is ongoing this year, but the trend seems to be continuing.
“It’s a big issue,” said Mark Ciavola, the student body president. “When tuition goes up, there is little left over for the summer.”
Student fees have doubled since 2007, when the recession began. Higher-education leaders have raised fees every year in an effort to help lessen the impact of state budget cuts. Still, hundreds of courses have been dropped, and programs have been eliminated.
Margaret Rees, UNLV’s vice provost for educational outreach, the department that runs the summer terms, said some financial aid has been harder to come by, as well.
She said many students depend on federal Pell Grants to help get them through the year. With cuts to that federal program, many students do not have enough cash to pay for summer classes.
“It really has mimicked the economy,” she said. “When students have no money, they can’t go to school for three terms. They’re limited to two.”
The university offers three sessions during the summer. The first is already going on, the second starts next week, and the third begins in July. Many students use the summer to take courses they avoided or dropped during the regular academic year, while others take courses in the summer so they can graduate more quickly.
“It really helps students out,” Rees said. “If they can afford it, they can get through the system faster.”
Summer school is self-funded, meaning student tuition and fees pay for the entire program, including the professors’ salaries. It receives no state tax dollars.
Rees said the drop in attendance has not yet meant fewer courses are offered. She said professors and their department heads and deans decide which courses to offer each year.
Ciavola, who campaigned largely on a promise to fight future tuition and fee increases, said the student government is going to launch a summer school scholarship program next year. The student government is funded entirely by student fees.
He said the scholarship program stands at $200,000 now, with half going toward scholarships in the fall and half in the spring. Next year, it will increase to $250,000. He said $50,000 of that will be used for summer school and textbook scholarships.
Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.
