Enchanting an Item Str cost

[Skarg]

You can certainly decide that's something that matters in your campaign, and I might tend to agree, for balance/preference rather than logic reasons.

(especially since I have experienced in great detail many times how magic items can unbalance a campaign and alter how it goes in ways I don't personally tend to prefer)

But as far as what the rules say, I don't actually remember, but doesn't it just call for ST and time spent, not necessarily for the apprentices to need to all be wizards?