CSU to UOPX

Everyone knows about those annoying pop-ups, and advertisements that plague the internet, fake scholarships, quizzes that promise results after you sign up with their partners and sweepstakes that lead you to a list of promotions. One of the most prominent of these ads on the Internet today is for the University of Phoenix. This for-profit university haunted me while trying to decide which college to attend. I had no interest in this mostly online University that would cost way too much for a non-existent college experience, but this annoying add was on every site.

Almost 4 years later the University of Phoenix has expanded; it now has almost 400,000 students. With California’s lack of money and high expenses incurred by state subsidized schooling the option of selling the CSU system and possible the UC’s to the University of Phoenix might be a possible solution.

People go to state colleges because they are the cheaper option. State Schools are about 25 percent more affordable than private universities. In California the average student debt right now is between 15,000-20,000 dollars. California’s debt might decrease with the sale, but student’s debt would most likely increase.

The idea might sound ridiculous at first, getting rid of state funded college, but after giving this proper consideration and a more realistic approach to our state’s debt, I was almost convinced.

The University of Phoenix has increased its enrollment by 300,000 students in 9 years. Because the school is for profit it will never want to limit enrollment, something the CSU’s would have to do.

Also the tuition would not be based on the state’s budget and would not have to be raised every semester. Tuition would however cost more money. The price is per credit and based on the degree you choose. In Sacramento it could cost up to $475 per credit on campus and $530 per credit online. Each class is about 3 credits.

If the University of Phoenix did purchase the CSU system it would be important to keep the campuses the same. The whole college experience is important to many people’s lives. Not everyone goes to college just to get a degree.

Potentially this could happen. The University of Phoenix could buy up the schools. They could keep the college experience and also allow for online education. They could keep the costs as low as possible and not raise them each semester; maybe they wouldn’t turn the campuses into large billboards.

This outcome would be good for everyone, but this is not a guarantee. The University of Phoenix is just another business. It can promise an outcome, but does not have to be accountable to it.

Tuition could end up increasing just as it is now and the school would also most likely end up losing its collegiate feel, something CSUS is so hard trying to recover right now by transforming it from a commuter campus to one where people live.

For-profit schooling would change the mission of the school. The goal wouldn’t be primarily to educate society at an “affordable” price; it would be the goal of any business, to make a profit. Just like with their pestering ads on the internet classrooms would have advertisements on the walls and online lectures would have commercials.

So although one might say it can’t be any worse than it is right now just remember, prices always go up, the college community is important and big business doesn’t have to win.