LINCOLN – Chadron State, Peru State, and Wayne State Colleges are lowering their online rate to $299 per credit hour and creating avenues to assist working students in completing their degrees. The cost of a four-year degree and changes in personal circumstances can impede a student’s educational goals. The Nebraska State Colleges are creating solutions to get students back on track to complete their college degrees.
“Affordability and accessibility are core pillars of the State Colleges,” said Dr. Paul Turman, Chancellor of the Nebraska State College System (NSCS). “Our students come from a variety of different backgrounds and experiences and often balance competing work and family commitments making earning their degree challenging. That is why Chadron, Peru, and Wayne State College are removing as many barriers as possible to enable students to complete their degrees.”
The State Colleges will lower their undergraduate online rate for the 2020-21 academic year to $299 per credit hour, making it the best education value in Nebraska. The rate is a flat cost per credit hour and does not require any additional fees. The new online rate is pending Board approval at the June 16 meeting of the NSCS Board of Trustees.
The State Colleges’ degree completion program offers a flexible and fully online paths forward for anyone who would like to complete an unfinished four-year degree including a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree program. Chadron, Peru, and Wayne State College will consider a variety of experiences for credit toward completion of a degree. The program is designed for:
- Substantial career experience of adult learners
- Experience earned as veterans and members of the armed forces
- Up to 66 credit hours from accredited community colleges including special consideration for students who have already earned an associate’s degree and wish to continue their education
- Up to 90 credit hours from other accredited four-year institutions
- Transfer options for students who have completed a technical associates degree
By accepting some or all of the credits that a student has already earned from their previous education and life experiences, the NSCS offers students a faster and less expensive alternative to completing an undergraduate student.
The NSCS is one of the few college systems in the nation to provide a flexible pathway to a four-year degree through the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree. The BAS degree is available to candidates whose complementary area of emphasis is management, and who transfer from other institutions after having completed a technical associate degree program or the equivalent in credits or life experience.
