One reason that I enjoy WGU Indiana so much is because of the financial situation. It's a considered a state college, which means that its eligible for the same state grants as every other state college. They don't charge by the credit or by the class. Instead, they charge by the term. Take a look at some of the information below so that you can compare rates because although WGU Indiana partners with Ivy Tech Community College, depending on how many classes you complete, their financial profile looks even better than a community college! Let's compare costs assuming that the student will take 4 classes per semester.
Ivy Tech Community College:
Please note that Ivy Tech does not offer degrees above an associate degree, but students are also not required to attend full time as they are with WGU Indiana (Full time being 12 credit hours).
Tuition: $104.55 per credit hour
Books: $39.23 per credit hour
Technology fee: $60 per semester
Online course fee: Additional $20 per credit hour
Based on these numbers, a full time schedule of classes taken online in one semester would come to $2025.36 at Ivy Tech. Of course, students don't have to attend full time and may buy books used, which would save some money.
Indiana University of South Bend:
IUSB costs more to attend, but the school itself offers more scholarships than Ivy Tech or WGU Indiana, so those factors must be weighed in.
Tuition: $187.75 per credit hour
Books: $39.25 per credit hour
Technology fees and online course fees are not listed here because IUSB does not offer accredited degrees that can be earned online. A full time schedule at IUSB would cost about $2723.76. This cost is based on tuition only and does not include parking fees, costs of transportation or fees that parents may incur for sitters, though it's worth mentioning that IUSB actually has an on campus daycare.
WGU Indiana:
Though the costs listed here are based on a full time schedule of 12 credits, the student actually has the potential to take many more credits than that. Fees for attending WGU Indiana are charged per 6 month term rather than per class. WGU Indiana does not limit the amount of classes a student can take during that term.
Tuition: $2890
Books: Texts are offered online and do not need to be purchased.
As you compare the costs, it appears that WGU Indiana is more expensive than other schools. And, to be fair, if you aren't overly motivated, it is more expensive. The key here is to be motivated so that you can take advantage of the financial situation and complete your education in a timely manner. WGU Indiana also reimburses students for specific testing fees such as the Praxis test fees. Let's compare the difference in costs for a motivated student who takes 6 classes or 18 credit hours.
Ivy Tech Community College: $3008.04
IUSB: $4085.64
WGU Indiana: $2890.00
In short, part time students would benefit from Ivy Tech, students who have no interest in taking online classes would benefit from IUSB and students who want to accelerate their learning and make use of existing knowledge would benefit from WGU Indiana. It's all about how you approach your education.
References: Personal experience, http://indiana.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/overview, http://www.ivytech.edu/why-ivy-tech/, http://www.iusb.edu/costs/
Disclaimer: Please note that from time to time posts will appear on this blog that are paid for by a third party.
