ASU's Niche $10,000 Degree

Governor Rick Perry ignored his role in growing college tuition costs during his terms in office.  Drastic cuts in state funding caused colleges to add a plethora of new fees while shifting costs to students  Governor Perry arrived at Angelo State University to push his four point plan for Texas Higher Education.

Angelo State became the tenth university to offer a Perry chastised $10,000 degree plan.  However, ASU's "Ten Grand Degree" comes with numerous asterisks.  First, the student must be a high achiever (which also helps ASU with their outcome based funding).  Nearly 14% of ASU's 7,000 students finished in the top 10% of their high school class.  That leaves 80% of ASU students out.

Second, students must be interdisciplinary studies majors.  Only three first time majors selected interdisciplinary studies in Fall 2011 and 82 had this major campus wide.  That's a mere 1.1% of ASU's students.

Third, the $10,000 degree is achieved by large university subsidies, i.e. scholarships.  ASU provides $5,000 per year in support.  That makes it a highly subsidized $30,000 degree.

Once again Governor Perry displayed his math shortcomings.  Maybe math and computer whiz Bill Gates will school the governor.  ASU's $10,000 degree program stands to impact few actual students.