University officials set a new mandate that tuition remission scholarships will only cover 16-hours each semester.
Tuition remission is a scholarship that includes a percent discount on tuition for eligible full-time students.
There are different types of tuition remission scholarships on campus, including employee, athletic and clergy. In addition to tuition remission, any scholarship that granted a student a tuition-free stay also only covers 16-hours.
The old tuition remission policy stated that students could take as many credit hours they wanted and 100 percent would be covered by the university.
This mandate was set because tuition remission scholarships don’t have any money behind them. They are 100 percent discounts. This means the university loses out on all of that revenue, said Kevin Windholz, vice president of enrollment services.
Students and employees voiced their concerns about the mandate and, after consideration, the hour-block on employee tuition remission was revoked.
“It’s a benefit for OCU employees that they and their dependents should have,” Windholz said. “It’s a way of thanking them for their service to the institution.”
Students who are on tuition remission were concerned how the hour-block may affect their graduation date.
“I was rather annoyed,” said Jacob Overling, business administration junior. “But I am glad they switched it back. It allows me to take more hours so my time here at OCU does not go into a fifth year.”
Students who have the hour-block for their scholarship are able to go over the 16-hours, but will be responsible for paying the normal rate of $925 per credit hour.
These changes to tuition remission scholarships will be effective the Spring 2015 semester.
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