What is differential tuition for engineering students?
Differential tuition is an additional charge that pays for enhancements to the learning experience of undergraduate students in engineering. These enhancements include extra sections of overfull courses, new computers and equipment and professors of practice.
Why does the Texas A&M University College of Engineering charge differential tuition?
Technology continues to change increasingly quickly. To provide a relevant engineering education and to prepare you for entering the workforce, we have to make sure our equipment and laboratories keep up to pace with these advancing technologies.
And it’s not just at Texas A&M. Seven out of nine public institutions with undergraduate engineering programs ranked equal to or higher than Texas A&M Engineering charge differential tuition. So in 2010, the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System approved differential tuition to help make sure that we can keep up with our peers in terms of resources available to our students.
Who pays differential tuition?
All undergraduate students majoring in engineering.
How will my differential tuition dollars be spent?
All money raised through differential tuition will help fund enhancements in undergraduate education, including:
- Financial aid and targeted scholarships
- Laboratory upgrades
- Enrichment of targeted programs (including Study Abroad, the Undergraduate Summer Research Grant Program, student design projects and others)
Hiring professors of practice
Will funds be spent on technologies/equipment specific to each department?
The differential tuition funds are allocated to each of the departments, and then the department heads will make strategic decisions on how to utilize these funds consistent with each of their visions and departmental goals.
Is this a one-time fee? Will it continue to apply to each new class? Will the fee increase again in the coming years?
Differential tuition is charged as tuition and not a fee. There are no plans to increase differential tuition for the next four years.
How will the differential tuition funds be spent after the first year?
Many of the proposed commitments recur annually and will continue being supported with these funds. Enhancement to labs, equipment, software, hardware, etc. will also continually be addressed each year to secure our ability to provide the most up-to-date technology to our students.
Do graduate students pay differential tuition?
No, the differential tuition is only paid by undergraduate students. However, as of fall 2018, graduate students will pay a graduate program fee.
Are professors of practice full time Texas A&M faculty?
Some professors of practice are full time and some are part time. Professors of practice are non-tenure track faculty. All faculty, including professors of practice, are evaluated annually.