There needs to be a change in the current overload system

Have you ever wanted to register for a class which ventured outside your major that you were nonetheless interested in, only to pass up the opportunity because of the cost of taking more than 18 credits?

For students like me who have considered overloading on credits, the credit overload fee is a paywall that discourages us from diversifying our classwork and experiences, which goes against the core principles of a liberal arts education. Under “Registration and Credits” in the CSB+SJU Academic Catalog, it reads, “Course loads which exceed 18 credits in a semester incur additional tuition cost.”

As of the 2022-23 academic school year, if students do take on a course load greater than 18 credits, they must pay “approximately $1,416.00 per credit over 18,” as found under “Essential Registration Information” for current students on the website for the Registrar’s Office.

If students decide to overload on credits, these fees can quickly accrue and become a burden to handle, even with just one four-credit course over the 18-credit limit. Alternatively, for many students who decide to remain at or below an 18-credit workload each semester, opportunities for exploring diverse interests and taking classes which are only offered a few times during their enrollment are discarded in favor of completing their degree within the standard four-year-time span.

Since the heart of liberal arts education centers on preparing students to be well-rounded workers and citizens in society, CSB+SJU’s integrity as a liberal arts school is undermined if students are unable to diversify their class schedule while also remaining on course to graduate in four years.

If you research similar overload procedures among other private colleges in Minnesota, you’ll find a variety of results. Some institutions, like the St. Thomas, Macalester and Carleton have hard caps on the number of credits students can take, with limits of 21, 20 and 24 credits, respectively. Other schools, including the University of Northwestern and Bethel have a similar credit overload system to CSB+SJU; however, the costs for those schools per credit are $950 and $1,140, respectively.

Regarding the current standing system of overloading at CSB+SJU, I believe trending toward either of these options would be beneficial. Administration should create a hard limit at 20 credits or more without an associated fee or decrease the fee for overloading to be more reasonable and manageable for students to take multiple credits over 18 in a semester.

If the system for overloading were changed, students would be able to gain more responsibility for their own workload. It is up to the student to understand what kind of workloads they can handle and what may be too much for them. The choice should be made according to the student’s judgement and capabilities combined with the guidance of their faculty advisor rather than their ability to pay additional fees.

In the face of a tuition cost currently amounting to $52,164 for SJU students and $52,108 for CSB students with a planned 3.5% tuition increase in the next academic school year, the cost of overloading is becoming more and more of a financial challenge for students. CSB+SJU students should be able to structure their class schedule based on their own capabilities without having to ask if taking one more class this semester will be within their budget.

I believe it is in the institution’s best interest as a liberal arts college to change the current overload system to allow students the freedom to structure their class schedules according to their capabilities and interests along with the guidance of advisors, thereby allowing them to diversify their coursework and create the well-roundedness that is sought through a liberal arts education.

*Statistics about tuition fees and credit limits for MN private colleges were respectively found at each institution’s website.