By Aleta Shaffner

It’s time to discuss the outrageous 130 percent online tuition fees that the University of Louisville charges its students.
“All distance education courses are charged 130% of the undergraduate/graduate in-state tuition rate,” according to U of L registrar’s office Web site. “Students are charged this amount even if you have already been billed as a full-time student.” The cost difference is approximately $95 per credit hour.
U of L’s Board of Trustees finalizes online tuition costs, said Gale Rhodes, Associate Provost and Executive Director of the Delphi Center. They base it off a list of what it takes to operate the online courses.
The cost is $870,000, according to Rhodes and it includes $200,000 for Information Technology (IT) support, $100,000 for the Blackboard Academic Suite, $400,000 for staff salaries and $120,000 to cover software, marketing and new course development.
“Students could choose to take a face-to-face version (of a class), but choose to pay the surcharge for a whole host of reasons, including flexibility, delivery,” said Rhodes.
Of the 139 online courses U of L offers, more than 72 courses are available only.
A student may have to avoid a class they really would like to take, because they can’t afford the 30% increase.
For example, during the spring 2009 semester, the only  Debate class in the communication department is offered online.
This isn’t fair to the student who has an interest in Debate, but has to choose another elective because they can’t afford the additional charges.
The majority of U of L professors who physically teach within the classroom use Blackboard to communicate and create assignments for their students.
Those sitting in the classroom with them are not penalized with extra fees.
If a student chooses to take classes online due to work, location or family, the cost should be the same as a student who attends physically in the classroom.
The Board of Trustees are the ones who set the cost of online courses. Students should complain to the Board asking them to reevaluate the high costs and unnecessary expenses for online tuition.
Aren’t students essentially investors? Well, investors control costs.