A new take on the 'Freshman 15'

I received this email from the President of the Montana State University system.  (He sends us emails every week, that I actually read because they are informative, to the point, and interesting!)  Anyway, the state of education here is VERY different from California!

Dear MSU Community,

Good morning! Today, let's discuss the "Freshman 15," an important MSU initiative that will help students reduce debt and succeed in college.

We know that there are many benefits to a university education, but a degree does not come easily. In addition to many challenges such as intellectual and workload demands and adjusting to campus life, there are financial challenges. In fact, since the recession of 2008, student debt has increased dramatically. 

We encourage students to take advantage of several resources offered at MSU. One of the easiest ways to reduce debt is what we call the "Freshman 15," whereby students (not only freshmen!) add weight not to their waistlines, but to their transcripts.

At all of our campuses, students who enroll in 13-18 credits pay the same tuition as those enrolling in 12 credits. In Bozeman and Great Falls, students can even take 19 or more credits with no additional charge. This means paying for 12 credits allows students to take at least 6 more credits without paying additional tuition! The savings are significant, ranging from $816 per semester for in-state students taking 15 credits at MSU-Bozeman to $2,485 for out-of-state students. The savings double with 18 credits!

Of course, the "Freshman 15" initiative is just one part of MSU's plan to help students. Last year, our new Office of Student Success at MSU-Bozeman provided 6,500 hours of free tutoring, and we expect to surpass that this year. MSU-Bozeman's new First Year Initiative helps students make the transition from high school to college, and our one-on-one advising soon will be greatly enhanced with a degree-planning software that will free up advisers to spend more time mentoring students. With help from a grant from the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, MSU will also increase its financial literacy education to students and their families to help them make wise choices about paying for college. And, we've added $1.1 million at MSU-Bozeman for financial aid for Montana resident students.

I understand that the "Freshman 15" strategy isn't for everyone, but I would like to encourage students to give it a try and to take advantage of other resources that are available through MSU. We know that students can achieve more, and MSU faculty, staff and administrators are here to help! 

Have a great week,


Waded Cruzado
President