BY RACHEL SHARPE
Since Florida Governor Rick Scott has taken office, he has firmly supported increasing science, technology, engineering and math programs, known collectively as “STEM”. However, his latest proposal goes too far and could be a detriment to students. Governor Scott wants to implement a one-size-fits-all policy under which students who choose to major in STEM areas will receive tuition breaks, while those who major in other areas as such as psychology and performing arts will be forced to pay a higher tuition to make up for these cuts. That means that students who attend the same university could be paying very different costs depending on their intended major.
According to Scott, Florida has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. In order to turn that around, he is encouraging students to earn degrees in industries where they will be able to find jobs. While the rationale behind Scott’s plan makes sense, there are too many drawbacks to the plan that make it simply unfair and unethical.
First of all, you can’t just force a student to study something they don’t have an interest in. Since elementary school, students have been told to find what they are passionate about and pursue it. Having students choose their major based on the price of college tuition would go against everything students have been taught their entire life. They are given a list of majors that cost less to earn degrees in and are encouraged to take them more than majors regarding something they are passionate about. Additionally, not all students excel in STEM areas. Students have strengths in different areas, and those who aren’t so strong in STEM areas should not be forced to pay higher tuition costs simply because their strengths lie elsewhere.
Furthermore, students who are majoring in STEM areas will already have an advantage over students who choose majors in other areas such as liberal arts, which Scott deems “unimportant” to the workforce. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), nine out of the top ten fields with the highest anticipated salaries in the coming years are engineering or technology related. This means that students who major in these subjects will already be more financially set once they graduate than their non-STEM counterparts so it is unfair to give them a financial head-start in college.
Another flaw in this plan is that there are too many variables for it to be carried out effectively. For example, what happens if a student decides to switch their major? Statistics show that nearly 80% of students change their college major at least once during their undergraduate studies. Say that a freshman that declared their major as an engineer receives a lower tuition then someone who wanted to major in history. Now, if that engineering student decided that he wanted to switch his major to history, would he be charged back-tuition since he would now be in an “unnecessary” field of study?
It is evident that Governor Scott’s plan is misguided and not well thought out. Though it is important to support economic recovery and fill more in-demand jobs, setting the price of college tuition based on a students’ major is simply not the answer. Perhaps a better solution would be to try to emphasize STEM ideals at the elementary and middle school level, so that students will take more of an interest in those areas from an early age. Moreover, the government could find other methods to attract students into the needed job fields, such as outside sources including scholarships and internships. Though this would still encourage students to pursue STEM majors, it would not punish other students who want to pursue interests in other areas. Public universities were designed to give everyone an equal opportunity at getting an education and to make sure that students have a chance to succeed no matter what they choose to major in. The cost of tuition should reflect those same ideals.
