The coronavirus epidemic is not slowing down in the US and that means that colleges and universities will continue to teach students remotely. So, 46% of colleges plan to conduct classes online. The most prestigious schools in the country, such as Harvard, are switching to distance learning as well.
Students understand the importance of quarantine measures, but they are concerned that their colleges are not lowering tuition fees. Students are not willing to pay for online education the same tuition fees as for offline education.
According to an OneClass survey, more than 93% of US students believe that colleges should cut online tuition. 13,606 students took part in the survey. Besides, OneClass found out that:
75% of college students are dissatisfied with the quality of online classes;
35% of students are considering dropping out.
Schools that didn't teach remotely before can't reduce tuition. The building of online learning infrastructure requires additional investments. Colleges and universities have to buy new equipment, and professors have to devote more time to working with the students.
For example, Harvard would need immense expenses for developing online learning infrastructure. Educational institutions with experience in organizing online learning have an advantage, such as the Southern University of New Hampshire, which will be able to reduce tuition fees this year.
Todd Rose, a professor at Harvard Graduate School of Educational Sciences, thinks that this year it is better to go to college that specializes in distance learning. This is what he would recommend to his children. All classes at schools like Harvard will be online, but their cost will still be high.