By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Fort Hays State University has agreed to decrease the price for students taking concurrent classes at Hays High School.
The cost for concurrent classes for the 2019-20 school year was $218 per credit hour. The cost for the 2020-21 school year will be $125 per credit hour.
The average cost of a three-hour course will drop form $656 to $275 — a 42.8 percent decrease.
Hays High School Principal Martin Straub said HHS entered into discussions with FHSU because of an increase in low-income students at HHS.
Straub wanted concurrent credit to be accessible to more students.
"We really think it is a win-win for our kids and Fort Hays State University," Straub said.
Dennis King, FHSU assistant vice president of Student Affairs, told the USD 489 school board last week, the FHSU executive team, including FHSU President Tisa Mason was supportive of the tuition change.
"We looked at the opportunities that it would provide students and the opportunities it would provide to work together," King said.
The reduction in fees will also cover students taking classes at NCK-Tech.
"If they start post-secondary education in high school, we know we increase the likelihood of them pursuing a degree after high school," King said. "They also increase their success if they do that."
Straub estimated if concurrent enrollment remains the same, the decrease in tuition would result in a savings of $50,000 to $60,000 in tuition per school year to students' families.
Summer school fees
The board also voted to eliminate summer school fees for 2020 in light of so many families having members who have been off of work.
Fees for students who receive free lunches were $10 per half credit. Students who received reduced-cost lunches were charged $50 per half credit. The full fee for in-district students was $100 per half credit, and out-of-district students paid $200 per half credit.
CARES Act funds or at-risk funding could be used to cover the cost of the summer program.