Potential Vandals within Idaho may find the application process more appealing this year.
Last week, University of Idaho President Chuck Staben announced that in-state students will no longer have to pay a fee to apply to UI.
Staben said that starting this fall the school will eliminate the $60 fee that comes with the application paperwork prospective students fill out.
He said this was a part of the on-going effort to increase the amount of Idaho students who pursue an education beyond high school.
“This is one fairly reasonable step that we can take to enhance Idaho’s college going,” Staben said.
If there are no signs of UI enrollment increasing after the practice is in place, Staben said it may be difficult to decide what to do next. He said eliminating the fee should be positive because it takes away obstacles students have to seek out higher education.
“It is very difficult to determine whether what you did had an effect, or if you hadn’t done it would there be a negative effect,” Staben said. “Either way, students of Idaho should not have to pay money just to apply at their state university.”
This new policy is expected to be well received by prospective students and their families. But the change does have its own fiscal impact on the university.
Staben said it will take a lot of money to implement the change. There are several thousand application fees paid by in-state students, which would amount to about $100,000 of what he called “foregone revenue.”
“We forego that revenue, but we see it as spending that amount on an investment in the future of Idaho students,” Staben said. “At the same time, it is also a positive investment for the university. Lowering that first hurdle for our in-state students is a good investment.”
Staben said the decision wasn’t about the money, but about the statement that UI wants to make to all Idaho students. He said he wants to make it clear to all in-state students that the opportunity for a UI degree is open to them.
There are many people in financially strained positions where $60 is the difference between going to college and settling for something less.
“I think it’s a good idea, because in-state students deserve an advantage, and that’s just one more advantage for us,” Freshman Chris Rapoport said. “Although I think the recruitment numbers will remain about the same, potential students will be glad to know that there is no risk just to apply.”
Andrew Ward
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