Drake University sets a new overload policy for undergrads

Drake University will charge an overload fee for students who exceed full-time status by taking special January classes, starting in 2024, The Times-Delphic reports.

• The undergraduate overload fee is currently $1,271 for each credit hour.

Why it matters: It could add to the cost of an education or discourage students from taking the special classes, The TD reports.

Catch up fast: Drake's J-Term are three-week courses offered in January before the spring semester officially begins.

• The classes are often ones that are difficult to fit into a regular semester and weren't previously billed to students who exceeded 18 credits hours in a semester by taking them.

State of play: A new billing procedure will count the courses towards the spring semester.

• Drake was not covering all its costs to teach the courses by excluding the credits from its overload fee structure, Drake's CFO Adam Voigts told the TD.

Of note: Iowa's three regent universities — University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Iowa — do not charge overload fees, Josh Lehman, a spokesperson for the regents tells Axios.

• Grandview University, which is also in DSM, charges $752 for each undergraduate overload credit hour, spokesperson Rachelle Mitchell told Axios.