Differential Tuition

What is differential tuition?

Differential tuition is a course fee equivalent charge per credit hour that helps the College of Engineering (CoE) fully foster a diverse and creative learning environment that will empower students and faculty with the necessary knowledge and facilities to be national and international leaders.

Why does the college charge differential tuition?

In March 2015, the Board of Trustees approved differential tuition for the CoE. Prior to Fall 2015, $2 per credit was charged for open access computer maintenance and upgrades.

The primary goal of differential tuition funds is to provide comprehensive learning environments with modern facilities and personnel resources to both undergraduate and graduate students. Differential tuition allows the college to invest in adequate teaching faculty and teaching assistants to help with classroom activities including homework/project help, provide state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and software, provide opportunities for outreach activities such as participation in student-driven competition and programs, and provide networking opportunities to help prepare students for the modern workplace.

What courses have differential tuition?

All engineering courses, except for thesis or dissertation courses, have differential tuition. Courses that are cross-listed with other colleges, but taught by engineering faculty also have differential tuition. All lower level courses (less than 2999) may also have course-specific course fees to fulfill costs.

What is the cost of differential tuition?

School Year Lower Division Courses
Cost Per Credit Hour (less than 2999)
Upper Division Courses
Cost Per Credit Hour (higher than 2999)
Graduate Level Courses
Cost Per Credit Hour
2015-2016 $2 $19 $28
2016-2017 $2 $34 $48
2017-2018 $2 $48 $69
2018-2019 $2.03 $48.72 $70.04
2019-2020 $2.03 $48.72 $70.04
2020-2021 $2.04 $49.01 $70.46
2021-2022 $2.04 $49.01 $70.46

What will differential tuition funds be spent on?

At the undergraduate level, differential tuition will be used to:

  • Support more timely degree completion by offering more required course sections
  • Improve learning by reducing class sizes
  • Maintain and upgrade labs with state-of-the-art equipment
  • Enrich senior design and other programs
  • Hire more student-peer mentors, teaching assistants, and graders
  • Support out-of-classroom experiences such as field trips and guest lecturers
  • Provide resources for student-driven outreach activities
  • Where needed, hire teaching-only faculty

At the graduate level, differential tuition will be used for:

  • Graduate students who need bridging-to-completion funds
  • Graduate student travel to conferences and other professional development opportunities
  • Support for specialized equipment
  • Resources for projects identified by graduate students
  • $2.04 per credit of the differential tuition fee is automatically allocated to engineering computer labs.
  • No differential tuition funds will be used to hire or increase salaries of tenured and/or tenure-track faculty.

Who can I contact if I have questions or concerns about differential tuition?

The College of Engineering has a Differential Tuition Oversight Committee that meets annually, usually in the fall. During this meeting the oversight committee reviews differential tuition revenue, expenses, and concerns raised by students. If you have specific questions or concerns about differential tuition, please email Levi Leckie at levi.leckie@usu.edu.