New Mexico State University sent out an email on Nov. 11 announcing a price reduction to online course delivery fees for the 2021 spring semester. Notably, all courses which would traditionally be held in person will have that additional fee.

The price will be $25 per credit hour instead of the $35 per credit fee.

Provost Carol Parker said the reason behind the reduction was because of the number of students now taking online courses. She also claimed it was due to additional requirements from online delivery like paying for Zoom.

“Technically from an equipment overhead perspective, a faculty member in front of the classroom with a whiteboard and a marker represents sort of as your base cost… You have all of the other equipment [online] that we have to install now, microphones, cameras, we do simulcasts in some classrooms,” Parker stated.

The type of courses that will be eligible for the fee include:

• 100% online asynchronous delivery
• 100% online synchronous delivery
• Hybrid delivery

This means classes that were traditionally in-person are now having that additional fee.

NMSU junior Emily Radell said that while the additional fee doesn’t affect her, it’s still upsetting.

“Paying more just doesn’t sit right with me. I understand the school needs money but what about the students. They’re suffering too, some more than others, and can’t afford to be paying more when jobs are cut and they have bills to pay,” Radell said.

Parker explained that NMSU is in different times where having online course delivery is more common.

“We would prefer not to have to be delivering so many courses online… It has cost a lot of financial hardship to students having to deal with extra costs often in circumstances where you know they may have lost some of their jobs or family members,” Parker said.

When asked how NMSU relayed this information, Radell believed it failed to do it properly.

“I feel like the school as an institution just can’t communicate well. Everything I’ve heard about changes are through word of mouth from my classmates and professors… At this rate, I’m not surprised that I haven’t about anything from the school,” Radell stated.

NMSU Alumni Javier Guerrero is seeking a degree in education, he stated the announcement was a “slap to the face of students.”

Guerrero also stated NMSU hasn’t been transparent in their policy during the pandemic.

“They have been irresponsible with how they planned classes and breaks. The fact that I have to pay more than my classes I had before my first degree just sucks. They tend to make decision about our education on the whim and that leads to frustrate us students,” Guerrero said.

According to Parker, the price reduction is under discussion whether it will be permanent after the spring semester.