N.J. Governor Wants to Merge Thomas Edison Into Rutgers

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People against the merger - see TESC as an invaluable resource due to extremely it's extremely low tuition and flexible credit transfer requirements.

People for - The inherent value of the Rutgers brand, Rutgers is one of only 62 colleges belonging to the Association of American Universities. Rutgers tuition is $11,800 per year for NJ citizens, TESC is $5,800 - not a huge gap considering the difference in quality.

Then there are the people in the middle. Those people might say that a merger makes sense if something new is brought to the table. Indiana University is also one of the 62 colleges belonging to the AofAU and already has a Distance Learning program with flexible credit transfers for the first 90 credits, a 30 hour resident requirement at just under $200 per credit hour or 6K (in-state or out of state)Indiana University Online and Distance Education, Undergraduate, Associate Bachelor's Degrees, General Studies. Rutgers current tuition is three times as much as IU and that's for your in state students. Plus the IU program has been successfully run for years.

What is the point of trying to start any DL program at Rutgers if the 30 credit residency for a BS is going to cost 18K? The Penn State World Campus which has 70 established programs is $15K or just under $500 per credit hour.

If Rutgers reverses course and decides they now want a DL program, why sacrifice TESC to accomplish it? It doesn't add up. I doubt that they are going to take every recommendation TESC gives as gospel. They will more likely scrap TESC's model for one they deem is more appropriate. So TESC will be gone and Rutgers will be charging above market tuition for an unproven program that will be marketed to whom? Certainly not the current TESC students. They will go to Excelsior, Charter Oak, Indiana U, Ft Hays, on and on...

So the goal of saving money by having Rutgers absorb TESC now actualy costs the state more money because tons of time energy and money get pumped into the new Rutgers online program, only to find out that they are at a competitive disadvantage.

Although there may be people who look down on TESC, Excelsior, Charter Oak students (and they are certainly allowed to their opinion)....I think they miss the point that those same students may see the folly in pumping 30-40K into a Rutgers undergraduate degree, when you can get an RA degree from TESC, Excelsior, or Charter Oak for around 6K, then spend 18-20K for a Rutgers Masters degree.