LB Behind the Scenes: Automotive Costs Near $24,000 as Faculty Question Tuition Model
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| Photo by Savannah West |
Students enrolled in Linn-Benton Community College’s career and technical education and lab-based programs often pay significantly more per credit than peers in transfer-focused degree pathways, a cost structure some faculty say is becoming increasingly difficult for students to navigate as total program costs continue to rise.
At the center of the debate is differential tuition, a 21% surcharge applied to many CTE and lab-heavy courses.
The charge is meant to help account for the higher cost of running hands-on programs that require specialized facilities, equipment, and supplies. But faculty members in some high-cost programs say the model raises questions about affordability and transparency.
Rising costs raise concerns about accessibility
Mike LeBlanc, faculty department chair for automotive technology at LBCC’s Advanced Transportation Technology Center in Lebanon, said the impact is especially visible in high-credit, lab-intensive programs.
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| By Mathieu Stern on Unsplash |
The automotive program consists of about 90 credits, with roughly 79 credits subject to differential tuition. The total cost of the associate degree is now estimated at just under $24,000.
“We are getting to a tipping point right now” … “there’s going to be a threshold where we are just pricing students out of an education,” LeBlanc said.
How differential tuition is applied
Differential tuition is added as a percentage on top of base tuition for courses with heavy lab components across multiple programs. At LBCC, programs with this surcharge include automotive, diesel, welding, mechatronics, construction, animal science, and culinary arts, as well as science lab courses such as biology and chemistry.
LeBlanc said the structure was intended to reflect higher operating costs in hands-on instruction. Automotive, for example, requires shop space, lifts, vehicles, diagnostic equipment, tools, parts, chemicals, and other materials that are not needed in a traditional lecture classroom.
But LeBlanc said he is concerned that revenue from differential tuition does not go directly back to the programs generating it.
“Those funds” … “don’t funnel back directly to the programs; they just go to the general fund,”
LeBlanc said, “We just want to know more so we can make better decisions.”
Instead, programs still rely on regular materials and supplies budgets, as well as separate lab fees, to cover consumables such as tools, parts, and teaching supplies.
“If we saw differential tuition coming back supporting our operation costs, then we could make a more educated decision about lowering those lab fees,” LeBlanc said.
Student impact and financial pressure
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| By Fin on Unsplash |
The 2026-27 automotive program cost breakdown estimates a first-year fall term total of $5,236.91.
That includes automotive coursework, math and measurement, a textbook subscription and the first $1,450 tool fee payment. Winter and spring first-year terms are also estimated at more than $4,800 each.
LeBlanc said many students do not expect the first-year price to be that high.
“A lot of them are coming in here with no idea that it costs $5,000 for their fall term, and they might get $3,000 in [financial aid] benefits,” LeBlanc said. “They are getting sticker shock at the end of the term when it is time to pay.”
Many automotive students take 16 to 18 credits per term during their first year, more than the 12-credit load commonly used as a baseline for full-time enrollment. LeBlanc said that creates a problem because financial aid, grants, and scholarships may not fully match the actual cost of a heavy-credit CTE schedule.
The timing of aid and scholarships can also make the problem harder. Students may need to apply for scholarships in the spring for the following fall, but not every student knows the total program cost or the application timeline early enough to plan.
Why the first year costs so much
LeBlanc said the first year of the automotive program is expensive by design, but not because faculty want to overload students.
The program is structured so students can complete a one-year certificate before continuing into the second year of the associate degree. General education requirements such as math, writing, and human relations are placed in the first year so students who do not return for year two are not left with automotive credits but no completed credential.
Students can technically move some general education courses into the second year, LeBlanc said, but doing so creates risk. If they leave after the first year, they may not have completed the certificate.
“Our first year is going to suck financially,” LeBlanc said. “It’s a lot of classes, and it is a lot of money, but by the end of the year most of our students can see the finish line and a job on the other side.”
Tools, lab fees and career preparation
Automotive students also pay costs beyond tuition.
The automotive program charges a tool fee of $1,450 per term during the first year, for a total of $4,350. According to the program cost breakdown, the fee includes two uniform shirts and a Snap-on 525 digital multimeter with probe kit.
LeBlanc said the tool fee functions like a layaway system. Students make payments throughout their first year, and the tools are distributed at the end of their first year. Some students receive scholarships that help cover tool costs. LeBlanc said industry partners also support the program by donating tools, equipment and access to training modules.
The structure allows financial aid, grants, and scholarships to help cover the tools because the cost is built into the program. LeBlanc said that matters because students need those tools to enter the workforce prepared.
A possible change to the tuition model
After discussing the issue with faculty in affected programs, LeBlanc brought his concerns about differential tuition to the LBCC Board of Education.
His main message is that the college should consider differential tuition whenever it discusses base tuition increases. Because differential tuition is percentage-based, CTE costs increase when base tuition increases.
“Make sure differential tuition is something you guys are considering before you approve a percentage increase on base tuition,” LeBlanc said. “It needs to be a bullet point in your budget discussion.”
One possible change would be to break courses down by lecture and lab contact hours, then apply differential tuition only to the lab portion of a class.
For example, if a 10-credit automotive class includes six credits of lab work and four credits of lecture, only the six lab credits would be charged additional tuition.
Another option would be shifting from a percentage-based surcharge to a flat per-credit fee. LeBlanc said that would prevent the additional charge from automatically increasing every time base tuition rises.
He said the goal is not necessarily to eliminate differential tuition, but to make the model clearer and fairer.
A workforce issue
LeBlanc said many students do not expect the first-year price to be that high.
“A lot of them are coming in here with no idea that it costs $5,000 for their fall term, and they might get $3,000 in [financial aid] benefits,” LeBlanc said. “They are getting sticker shock at the end of the term when it is time to pay.”
Many automotive students take 16 to 18 credits per term during their first year, more than the 12-credit load commonly used as a baseline for full-time enrollment. LeBlanc said that creates a problem because financial aid, grants, and scholarships may not fully match the actual cost of a heavy-credit CTE schedule.
The timing of aid and scholarships can also make the problem harder. Students may need to apply for scholarships in the spring for the following fall, but not every student knows the total program cost or the application timeline early enough to plan.
Why the first year costs so much
LeBlanc said the first year of the automotive program is expensive by design, but not because faculty want to overload students.
The program is structured so students can complete a one-year certificate before continuing into the second year of the associate degree. General education requirements such as math, writing, and human relations are placed in the first year so students who do not return for year two are not left with automotive credits but no completed credential.
Students can technically move some general education courses into the second year, LeBlanc said, but doing so creates risk. If they leave after the first year, they may not have completed the certificate.
“Our first year is going to suck financially,” LeBlanc said. “It’s a lot of classes, and it is a lot of money, but by the end of the year most of our students can see the finish line and a job on the other side.”
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| By Savannah West |
Automotive students also pay costs beyond tuition.
The automotive program charges a tool fee of $1,450 per term during the first year, for a total of $4,350. According to the program cost breakdown, the fee includes two uniform shirts and a Snap-on 525 digital multimeter with probe kit.
LeBlanc said the tool fee functions like a layaway system. Students make payments throughout their first year, and the tools are distributed at the end of their first year. Some students receive scholarships that help cover tool costs. LeBlanc said industry partners also support the program by donating tools, equipment and access to training modules.
The structure allows financial aid, grants, and scholarships to help cover the tools because the cost is built into the program. LeBlanc said that matters because students need those tools to enter the workforce prepared.
A possible change to the tuition model
After discussing the issue with faculty in affected programs, LeBlanc brought his concerns about differential tuition to the LBCC Board of Education.
His main message is that the college should consider differential tuition whenever it discusses base tuition increases. Because differential tuition is percentage-based, CTE costs increase when base tuition increases.
“Make sure differential tuition is something you guys are considering before you approve a percentage increase on base tuition,” LeBlanc said. “It needs to be a bullet point in your budget discussion.”
One possible change would be to break courses down by lecture and lab contact hours, then apply differential tuition only to the lab portion of a class.
For example, if a 10-credit automotive class includes six credits of lab work and four credits of lecture, only the six lab credits would be charged additional tuition.
Another option would be shifting from a percentage-based surcharge to a flat per-credit fee. LeBlanc said that would prevent the additional charge from automatically increasing every time base tuition rises.
He said the goal is not necessarily to eliminate differential tuition, but to make the model clearer and fairer.
A workforce issue
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| By Savannah West |
LeBlanc said rising CTE costs are not only a student issue. They also affect the college and the regional workforce.
Local dealerships, independent shops, and manufacturers rely on LBCC to train future technicians. Automotive students complete cooperative work experience during the second year, allowing them to work in shops while finishing their degree.
The second-year schedule is designed so students can work in the mornings and attend classes later in the day. That allows students to earn money while gaining career-related experience.
“The industry needs technicians, and a lot of their technicians come from our programs,” LeBlanc said. “If we price students out and hurt enrollment, the college doesn’t stay open and the shops don’t get the workers they need.”
The risk of pricing students out
Automotive is different from some degree pathways because students do not legally need a degree to become mechanics in the United States.
“We are not competing with other programs,” LeBlanc said. “We are competing with the question, ‘Why should I pay this much to come here at all?’”
LeBlanc said many trade students come from low-income backgrounds and enroll in college as a pathway to better wages and long-term stability. If costs continue to rise, he said, “we are getting to that point where that is just not going to be an option anymore.”
“If our degree costs $30,000, we are not going to have any students anymore,” LeBlanc said. “No one will come here to learn how to be a mechanic for $30,000.”
What happens next
For LeBlanc, the issue is not whether hands-on programs cost more to operate. He said they do.
The issue is whether students, faculty, and decision-makers have a clear enough understanding of how those costs are calculated, how the money is used, and how tuition increases affect students already paying more.
“We have a 90-credit automotive degree, and 79 credits have differential tuition,” LeBlanc said. “Our trade students are paying substantially more for their education in total than transfer degree students.”
As LBCC continues budget and tuition discussions, LeBlanc said differential tuition should be part of the public conversation, not a hidden cost students discover after enrolling.
At a Glance: Differential Tuition at LBCC
Local dealerships, independent shops, and manufacturers rely on LBCC to train future technicians. Automotive students complete cooperative work experience during the second year, allowing them to work in shops while finishing their degree.
The second-year schedule is designed so students can work in the mornings and attend classes later in the day. That allows students to earn money while gaining career-related experience.
“The industry needs technicians, and a lot of their technicians come from our programs,” LeBlanc said. “If we price students out and hurt enrollment, the college doesn’t stay open and the shops don’t get the workers they need.”
The risk of pricing students out
Automotive is different from some degree pathways because students do not legally need a degree to become mechanics in the United States.
“We are not competing with other programs,” LeBlanc said. “We are competing with the question, ‘Why should I pay this much to come here at all?’”
LeBlanc said many trade students come from low-income backgrounds and enroll in college as a pathway to better wages and long-term stability. If costs continue to rise, he said, “we are getting to that point where that is just not going to be an option anymore.”
“If our degree costs $30,000, we are not going to have any students anymore,” LeBlanc said. “No one will come here to learn how to be a mechanic for $30,000.”
 |
| By Savannah West |
For LeBlanc, the issue is not whether hands-on programs cost more to operate. He said they do.
The issue is whether students, faculty, and decision-makers have a clear enough understanding of how those costs are calculated, how the money is used, and how tuition increases affect students already paying more.
“We have a 90-credit automotive degree, and 79 credits have differential tuition,” LeBlanc said. “Our trade students are paying substantially more for their education in total than transfer degree students.”
As LBCC continues budget and tuition discussions, LeBlanc said differential tuition should be part of the public conversation, not a hidden cost students discover after enrolling.
At a Glance: Differential Tuition at LBCC
What is Differential Tuition:
Differential tuition is a 21% additional tuition charge applied to many career and technical education courses and some lab-based courses.
Why it matters:
Faculty say rising costs may make CTE programs harder for students to afford, especially students using college as a pathway into higher-paying technical careers.
Programs affected include:
Differential tuition is a 21% additional tuition charge applied to many career and technical education courses and some lab-based courses.
Why it matters:
Faculty say rising costs may make CTE programs harder for students to afford, especially students using college as a pathway into higher-paying technical careers.
Programs affected include:
- Automotive technology
- Diesel and heavy equipment
- Mechatronics
- Welding and construction
- Animal sciences
- Culinary arts
- Biology lab courses
- Chemistry lab courses
Automotive program snapshot:
About 90 total credits
Roughly 79 credits with differential tuition
Estimated total program cost: $23,716.11
Courses with additional tuition: $15,634.80
General required courses: $3,501.31
Tool fees: $4,350
Textbook costs: $230
More information:
Ways to get involved:
About 90 total credits
Roughly 79 credits with differential tuition
Estimated total program cost: $23,716.11
Courses with additional tuition: $15,634.80
General required courses: $3,501.31
Tool fees: $4,350
Textbook costs: $230
More information:
Ways to get involved:
- Attend or watch LBCC Board of Education meetings.
- Ask program departments how differential tuition affects total program cost.
- Speak with advisors and financial aid staff before enrolling in high-credit programs.
- Apply early for scholarships, especially before fall enrollment deadlines.
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