At Stephen F. Austin State University, undergraduate students are required to complete 42 hours of core curriculum courses in order to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree. With the many options of courses students can enroll in, the question among some undergraduate students, is whether or not they should be required to take courses outside of their field of study.

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​According to SFA’s Academic Advising Center, “Regardless of what major you declare, all students are required to take the same 42 hours.” In order for a university in the state of Texas to be considered a “state university”, SFA must abide to the state’s laws and policies. Therefore, SFA’s board of education does not have the ability to alter core curriculum requirements unless approved.

 

Many undergraduate students view that these core classes can be helpful when learning basic skills and knowledge that has the potential to benefit them in their future career. And others see these requirements to be a waste of time and money. “I think that these courses can be helpful to some extent,” Sarah Drake, a junior at SFA said. “However, I feel that the money I spend each semester on classes could be spent more on what I will be doing once I graduate.”

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Money isn’t the only factor students have against the university’s policy. Students, such as Brittiany Perkins, believe that the views on whether or not students should be required to complete these 42 hours of core curriculum can depend upon student classification.

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“When I was a sophomore, I kind of felt that these classes were a waste of time because I was pursuing a nursing degree. So my main thought was ‘Why should I take them?’” Perkins said.  “Now that I’m older and I look back, I think they are relevant because they teach you things like how different cultures are and how politics affects your everyday life. These courses are going to have an effect and students will benefit from it, one way or another.”

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Financial Aid is used all over the nation to help students financially as a college student. According to SFA’s Financial Aid Office, “As of Spring 2018, financial aid will only pay for courses in a student’s degree plan.” With this recent policy, awareness of which courses will be supported by financial aid is highly recommended when enrolling at the start of a new semester.

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Unfortunately, with improper enrollment and management of the courses that are covered by Financial Aid, students could risk the amount of financial aid that they receive. “This is really bothersome for someone like me, who is completely funded by financial aid,” Perkins said. “If I were to take an extra history course to be considered a full-time student, then that course would not be paid for and I would have had to come up with $1,000 to not lose my financial aid.”

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