Online Friday Center courses no longer an extra charge

Beginning this fall, full-time UNC students will no longer have to pay extra to take online courses through the Friday Center.

Previously, the Friday Center has offered students the option of taking Carolina Courses Online in addition to on-campus courses. However, they paid separate tuition for the online course plus their regular tuition — $231.06 per credit hour for in-state students.

With the change in policy, students will only have to cover the costs of textbooks for the online courses.

“(The change) fits with the Friday Center’s mission to serve the community and the University by expanding access to education,” said Robert Bruce, director of the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education.

Bruce said there were several reasons for the policy change, but ultimately the goal was to make online courses more accessible to UNC students who already pay tuition, instead of paying additional expenses for online classes.

About a combined 500 students have already enrolled in online classes for the fall and spring semesters, but Bruce said he expects the program will continue to grow, especially with this change.

“We’re hoping for a 20 percent jump in enrollment,” Bruce said.

Bruce said the process to cover the costs of the online courses has proved to be a challenge, especially with them being a huge source of revenue. He said he has been working closely with the Office of the Provost to make the transition possible.

Student body president Andrew Powell echoed concern for the short-term financial issues with the change, although he said he was 100 percent in favor of the greater availability of online classes.

“I think there is a big demand for students to take online courses and a huge hurdle was the additional costs,” Powell said.

Powell said students who previously may not have been able to afford online classes can now utilize their benefits, like greater flexibility in scheduling.

Students will also have a better chance to enroll in popular classes that are difficult to get into and even classes that aren’t offered at UNC.

Powell said the expansion of the online courses could eventually lead to widespread cooperation across universities.

Gabriella Gaje, a senior from Camp Lejeune, has already taken online classes at UNC.

“I like the freedom that online classes provide me. I would much prefer to do some classes that I have to take online than in the classroom,” Gaje said.

Without the extra fee, Gaje said she thinks the program will attract more students.

The Friday Center will offer 79 courses in the fall, but Powell said he hopes the program will eventually provide more summer courses, which will allow students to get credit while taking part in internships or study abroad programs.

He said he expects a push to integrate online courses into the university system in the near future.

“This is the direction that public universities need to be heading in,” Powell said.

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