While ordinarily many students attempt to flee the sweltering dry heat of Arizona’s summer, this year it seems that more students will wait out the Tucson sun and try to make some progress toward their degree.

Compared to the first two days of registration last year, enrollment in summer classes is up 37 percent, according to UA interim registrar Beth Acree.

“”I’m pretty confident that it’s not going to be that high whenever the session actually starts,”” Acree said. “”But it’s certainly an indication that it will be up substantially, I would imagine.””

Tuition for an undergraduate in summer 2009 will be $963.56 for three units, $1,841.06 for six units and $2,718.56 for nine units.

“”The base tuition for summer session is based on the previous spring base unit,”” Acree said. “”So the basic rate in spring for one unit was $276. And summer, the basic unit is $292.50.””

Various student fees create the disparity, she said.

“”So that’s a difference of $16.50. $5.50 of that is a student activity fee that has been charged as long as I’ve been here … for probably 20 years, and it’s never changed.

“”The additional $11 is a utilities fee,”” Acree added. “”A special utilities fee for the summer and that was approved, I want to say, about three or four years ago. The base tuition is the same as what spring was.””

Acree said it’s “”very difficult to pinpoint exact reasons”” for the increase in registration this year.

One of those might be the Grade Replacement Opportunity policy, she said.

“”There are likely to be some changes with GRO and repeating courses in the future. (Students who registered for summer classes) may be trying to get in some classes that they were hoping to GRO before these policies change,”” Acree said.

Students might also be “”nervous about course availability in the fall,”” she said.

“”There may be plenty of openings in the fall but you know, people get nervous. It could be that we’ll see a big drop – that people were anxious and registered, and then when it comes down to it, they won’t actually follow through,”” Acree said.

Business sophomore Monique Rios said she’s enrolled in a Spanish course because, “”I need it for my (second) major and it won’t fit into my schedule in the fall.””

“”Eller’s curriculum is so specific … so I figured, summer, why not?”” Rios said.

She said tuition concerns could lead her to drop the course before summer classes even begin.

“”The tuition rate’s going up,”” she said. “”I don’t know if I’m going to have the funding to support two majors throughout the next few years.””

Acree said the increase in the number of web-delivered courses being offered could also be adding to enrollment. Over the 2008 summer, there were 105 different web-delivered sections. For summer 2009, there are currently 172 web-delivered sections being offered.

Due to more web-delivered classes, students who will not be in Tucson over the summer have the opportunity to take summer classes.

While Acree speculated as to why more students are registering, some students said they aren’t trying to get requirements out of the way – they’re trying to fulfill final requirements in order to graduate.

Communication senior Omar Gutierrez said he is taking three classes this summer. “”I will be graduating after I’m done with those classes.””

Gutierrez said he decided to register for summer courses because it allowed him to get his degree more quickly.

“”I was going to graduate in December otherwise, this way I’m going to walk in May and then I’m going to get my title in August.””