Tuition Policy for Employer-Sponsored and Selected Special Learning Programs Targeting Adult Students at URI, RIC, and CCRI
Principles
A healthy economy creates new job opportunities for individuals as well as increased tax revenues for the state. Many adults with college degrees are under-skilled and underemployed in today’s knowledge economy that offers career pathways requiring advanced technical, technological, critical thinking, and professional skills. In order to effectively contribute to workforce development in the knowledge economy, the public higher education institutions in Rhode Island must be able to offer online and other selected special learning programs in targeted areas of economic development to expand learning opportunities for adult populations, primarily through employer-sponsored programs.
To contribute to economic and workforce development through online and other selected special programs and to ensure that URI, RIC, and CCRI can remain both nimble and competitive in adult education program development and delivery (including certificate and degree programs), URI, RIC, and CCRI need flexibility to develop market-based tuition and fee structures that will increase access to these largely adult non-matriculating student populations, while also covering costs associated with developing, administering, and delivering such programs.
Policy
URI, RIC, and CCRI shall have the flexibility to establish appropriate and competitive tuition and fees for online and other selected special certificate and degree programs targeted primarily to non-matriculating adult populations, largely through employer sponsorship or contractual arrangements. The establishment of any new certificates or other program changes of 18 or fewer credits shall subject to Board policy for approval of academic programs (Section 1 B 8) and would require a Notice of Change to be reported to the Board of Education. The tuition and fees for each program will be set considering the competitive market and demand for the program as well as the costs of developing, administering, and delivering the program, while also ensuring accessibility for potential students. All such alternative tuition and fee structures will be subject to final approval by the president of the institution following review of pertinent agreements by legal counsel.
