University of Minnesota Proposes Extra Science Tax

The University of Minnesota has proposed a $1,000 per semester surcharge for new undergraduate students in the College of Science and Engineering, supposedly to enable the high-demand school to expand. The charge also would apply to College of Liberal Arts students majoring in certain science fields.

No wonder more and more people are seeking trades instead of a university higher education.

The science surcharge would cost incoming engineering students an additional $8,000 over the course of a four year program, which represents a 14.5 percent increase over normal tuition for that time period.

The university defended the science tax, by stating the U is the only Big Ten school that does not charge a premium to engineering students, according to Dean Mos Kaveh. Thankfully, the surcharge, which would not apply to current students or those from low-income families.

Growing the science and engineering department are admirable goals, and I can see where the university believes incoming science students should pay for expanding their department, but I can think of a lot of other places I would seek to cut funding before raising tuition on students who want to contribute to the useful economy.

We should be encouraging younger generations to join critical STEM fields with scholarships, not saddling them with a 14.5 percent increase in tuition relative to other students.

Besides, we already have enough English majors.