Because of a new Internet site, colleges and universities may turn tuition rates into an auction process. But Ohio University will not be one of those doing the bidding.

The site, www.eCollegebid.org, allows parents and students to place bids on the price they want to spend for college, said Tedd Kelly, the site's creator. Participating colleges, which pay a membership fee of $2,000 per year, can then choose to accept or deny the bids.

But Sondra Williams, associate director of financial aid, said she feels the site would be impractical for OU.

"I think you'd be opening a whole can of worms, because you'd get folks who would compare with a roommate who wasn't paying the same price," Williams said.

Kelly, of Virginia, said the site is designed to make cost less of a determinate when students are choosing between pricier private universities and less expensive public universities.

"We function as an introduction of colleges to students," Kelly said.

His idea stems from 30 years of work as an enrollment management consultant - someone who works with colleges to help build their enrollments. While in that field, he said he found that financial aid packages are a major determinate of where students decide to attend school.

Kelly said smaller colleges and universities will benefit the most, because the site gives these schools a chance to increase enrollment by finding students who normally would be turned off by the cost factor.

"If you get the cost question out of the way first, it saves a lot of time, effort and expense," Kelly said.

Bill Rothman, assistant vice president of fiscal services at Hocking College, said neither OU nor Hocking College, which is the size of school Kelly is targeting, could participate in the site.

Although OU or Hocking can offer scholarships, they cannot change tuition rates that are set yearly. OU's tuition is regulated by the university's Board of Trustees.

"This is not something that public universities can jump into," Rothman said.

But OU sophomore Erin Swisher said she understands the cost factor.

"When I was trying to decide which school to go to, it came down to Ohio University, Syracuse, and John Carroll," Swisher said. "OU was less expensive, and that definitely influenced my decision."

Some students do not agree that the eCollegebid site is the answer.

"I don't think they should have people bid on colleges, because tuition shouldn't be negotiable," said sophomore Christine Mersch. "If you can't afford a school, apply for grants, loans and scholarships."

The site has currently 300 registered student members. Six colleges are signed up and twelve more are negotiating. Kelly said he hopes 100 colleges will participate in his site by the end of the year.

"When the word gets out that this works, it will catch on," Kelly said.