Another school year has begun, and you’re staring at your schedule with full confidence. You’re comforted knowing if you become overwhelmed or the workload becomes too heavy, you can always settle for a “W” and play catch-up during the summer semester.
But, there’s one factor many students seem to forget: There is a cost for summer school … and it isn’t cheap.
School can be aggravating, no matter the semester, and there are many times when students would rather spend the day watching Netflix in bed.
But that feeling is probably amplified during the summer — you don’t get a break between the two more hectic semesters, campus is lonelier and the workload is more intense due to the condensed time period.
The worst part has to be all of the money going toward something avoidable.
According to the summer 2016 semester undergraduate tuition and fees file, the cost of six credit hours comes to a total of $2,305.
That money could be the cost of your summer trip to Italy, but you’d rather waste it on some credits that you more than likely could have taken during a previous semester.
Heaven forbid you’re an out-of-state student — 6 credit hours as an out-of-state student at the University during the summer semester will cost you $6,606.
Not to mention, college financial aid doesn’t typically cover summer courses, and if it does, it’s extremely limited.
And here’s a quick FYI to TOPS recipients, in case you forgot: According to LSU Financial Aid and Scholarships, “Students can use a semester of TOPS to pay for a summer semester if they have earned at least 60 hours. Summer use of TOPS will count as a full semester of eligibility but will only pay for tuition of enrolled hours. Students must be enrolled in at least six hours to receive TOPS for a summer semester.”
Sure, you can use your award money for a summer semester, but unless you plan on graduating early, you’ll be stuck paying for a fall or spring semester.
Hint: most majors require 120 credit hours to graduate. If you take 15 hours each semester, you’ll finish in four years without having to take any summer courses. There’s no need to take 12 hours in both the fall and spring and then try to catch up in the summer. You took far more than 15 hours in high school. If you did it then, you can do it now.
There are obviously times when summer courses are unavoidable — maybe something came up and you no longer have a choice but to attend classes then. That’s when summer classes should be utilized. Not because you have extra “W’s” you want to use or you felt like taking it “light” a semester.
The easiest way to avoid paying an extra couple of grand is to make your schedule and stick with it. Avoid using summer classes as a safety net. Act as if they aren’t an option.
As we begin this semester, keep in mind all it will cost to take summer courses — mentally, physically and fiscally. Then, do the best you can now so that you never have to contemplate trading in your summer vacay for some headaches and an emptier wallet.
Clarke Perkins is a 20-year-old political science junior from New Orleans, Louisiana.