University of the People has an interesting model where you do not pay tuition, it will offer you all the course work up front and then you pay $140 per class exam at the undergrad level. School...
University of the People has an interesting model where you do not pay tuition, it will offer you all the course work up front and then you pay $140 per class exam at the undergrad level. School reputation and degree value is a complicated topic, but regional accreditation is more valued than national accreditation in the US and this could be big for low cost higher education options.
It seems they cater to international students, so this makes some sense, as one payment method among many. But it only applies to current students, suggesting they might be discontinuing it?...
It seems they cater to international students, so this makes some sense, as one payment method among many. But it only applies to current students, suggesting they might be discontinuing it?
The school currently has 1,300 students from 129 countries enrolled, mostly from Nigeria, Indonesia, Haiti and the U.S. Some work out of Internet cafes, downloading lessons on thumb drives to work on at home.
I wonder how they prevent cheating on the exams? Looks like there’s info on this page:
It is the student’s sole responsibility to choose a proctor (exam monitor) … Must be a responsible, respected adult, such as a local official, supervisor at work, librarian, or a religious figure, and be at least 21 years old;
It seems like it wouldn’t be hard to collude with a proctor, particularly in countries with widespread corruption, but it’s a hurdle making it not entirely trivial.
"Current students" in higher ed means not "prospective students" who are applying, have applied, are in the admissions process, etc. While they may cancel it, any other university saying that...
"Current students" in higher ed means not "prospective students" who are applying, have applied, are in the admissions process, etc.
While they may cancel it, any other university saying that would just mean their enrolled students paying a bill.
Exams are proctored through a third party service. Usually with a secure browser, webcam up, live stream and screen share. At least that's how it is at other schools if it's not pre-recorded....
Exams are proctored through a third party service. Usually with a secure browser, webcam up, live stream and screen share. At least that's how it is at other schools if it's not pre-recorded. There's in person proctoring as well like the edit mentions.
That's always great news that cheaper education is receiving wider acceptance. Edit: there is a $60 USD up front sign up cost, and then : If payment needs to be made before term starts, then it's...
That's always great news that free cheaper education is receiving wider acceptance.
Edit: there is a $60 USD up front sign up cost, and then :
While the university is tuition-free, we do charge minimal assessment fees to remain sustainable. The cost per course assessment fee in your program is 200 USD. [...] your payment for the upcoming term will be due one week before the term starts.
If payment needs to be made before term starts, then it's not free is it?
Edit #2: here's the fee schedule for a certificate, $660-1660 total. They are tuition free, not totally free. Significantly free, yes, do doubt, but the definition is tuition free.
they do seem to take a lot of Sophia credits, and other such from resources that @moocow1452 excellently outlined. So if I were a prospective student I'd max out those credits first then transfer into UOPeople.
From quickly browsing Reddit it seems graduates have been successfully accepted into regular paying masters programs as well.
I only know of a few other free higher education things, please add more that you know of
Sophia - transfer credits accepted by other regular paying universities
Modern States - gives vouchers for CLEP exams
Even if one is suspicious of the wider acceptance of these types of programs, one could consider it free prep for high school aged kids to prepare towards paying universities, or for adults with ADHD who want to see if they can commit to it before (perhaps once again) paying and dropping out.
The major one I've heard that you haven't mentioned is Study.com. There are alternatives depending on the school you’re planning to transfer into like Saylor Academy, which is free, or...
Exemplary
please add more that you know of
The major one I've heard that you haven't mentioned is Study.com. There are alternatives depending on the school you’re planning to transfer into like Saylor Academy, which is free, or StraighterLine, and Study.com is a little more expensive than any of those, but a larger selection of ACE (American Council on Education) credits available to transfer into particular schools. Recently they changed up their operations so that exams are no longer proctored, so if that would be a hassle or off-putting for you to install their programs on your computer and record yourself and your screen while testing, it's no longer something you have to deal with. It comes up a bunch in the culture around accelerating through your degree and some of the resources they host include the Degree Forum, Major Mash, College Hacked, and Plotted Path
Schools that come up a bit in these circles are schools like Western Governors University or University of Maine at Presque Isle which will take in a considerable amount of transfer credits but are also competency based allowing you to pay for a term of schooling and complete as many classes as you can with all the course work available at once, letting you skip to the final exam at any time. People have been known to take up to the limit of 90 ACE credits and sign up for a term, being able to get degrees in a matter of months for a couple thousand dollars total, possibly less depending on how financial aid turns out for them.
If you have your heart set on a particular college experience or would rather take classes in person or want nothing to do with college, that's all valid and none of this is relevant for you. But if you want a degree for a hiring manager to recognize that you have a degree or just want that sense of accomplishment without losing that chunk of time or paying through the nose for it, there are options that a lot of people go through and it seems to work well for them.
It's worth knowing that many states already have dual enrollment programs for advanced high school students that allow them to attend courses at paying universities (with the state paying for...
one could consider it free prep for high school aged kids to prepare towards paying universities
It's worth knowing that many states already have dual enrollment programs for advanced high school students that allow them to attend courses at paying universities (with the state paying for them). The details differ from state to state, but almost every state has at least one such dual enrollment program, and many have more than one. The courses count for high school credit and can usually be transferred as college credit towards your degree afterwards (though, as with any college credit, it's up to the university you're entering which transfer credits they accept). I did this for all my courses senior year of high school and knocked out a few gen eds. The courses were typically easier than the equivalent AP courses would've been, and the scheduling was definitely more flexible. I wish I'd done it for my junior year as well the way some of my peers did.
oh wow that's a great program. took a quick look and some Canadian universities also offer dual enrollment. I only managed to do AP Psych and it was quite manageable. But I probably could have...
oh wow that's a great program. took a quick look and some Canadian universities also offer dual enrollment.
The courses were typically easier than the equivalent AP courses would've been
I only managed to do AP Psych and it was quite manageable. But I probably could have used easier versions of AP calc
The exact difficulty of the courses ofc depends on the university you attend as part of the program, but for me the calculus course was definitely easier and better-paced than its AP equivalent....
The exact difficulty of the courses ofc depends on the university you attend as part of the program, but for me the calculus course was definitely easier and better-paced than its AP equivalent. Honestly just the increased amount of time outside class to spend as I wanted rather than being trapped in a high school environment was a big enough advantage for me.
This seems like a pretty good deal imo. For someone who always felt like an MBA was a waste of money, for example, this completely changes that calculation.
This seems like a pretty good deal imo. For someone who always felt like an MBA was a waste of money, for example, this completely changes that calculation.
University of the People has an interesting model where you do not pay tuition, it will offer you all the course work up front and then you pay $140 per class exam at the undergrad level. School reputation and degree value is a complicated topic, but regional accreditation is more valued than national accreditation in the US and this could be big for low cost higher education options.
For the methods of payment, they accept crypto, which...I dunno, chief...
It seems they cater to international students, so this makes some sense, as one payment method among many. But it only applies to current students, suggesting they might be discontinuing it?
Online University For All Balances Big Goals, Expensive Realities (NPR) (2012)
I wonder how they prevent cheating on the exams? Looks like there’s info on this page:
It seems like it wouldn’t be hard to collude with a proctor, particularly in countries with widespread corruption, but it’s a hurdle making it not entirely trivial.
"Current students" in higher ed means not "prospective students" who are applying, have applied, are in the admissions process, etc.
While they may cancel it, any other university saying that would just mean their enrolled students paying a bill.
Exams are proctored through a third party service. Usually with a secure browser, webcam up, live stream and screen share. At least that's how it is at other schools if it's not pre-recorded. There's in person proctoring as well like the edit mentions.
That's always great news that
freecheaper education is receiving wider acceptance.Edit: there is a $60 USD up front sign up cost, and then :
If payment needs to be made before term starts, then it's not free is it?
Edit #2: here's the fee schedule for a certificate, $660-1660 total. They are tuition free, not totally free. Significantly free, yes, do doubt, but the definition is tuition free.
they do seem to take a lot of Sophia credits, and other such from resources that @moocow1452 excellently outlined. So if I were a prospective student I'd max out those credits first then transfer into UOPeople.
From quickly browsing Reddit it seems graduates have been successfully accepted into regular paying masters programs as well.
I only know of a few other free higher education things, please add more that you know of
Sophia - transfer credits accepted by other regular paying universities
Modern States - gives vouchers for CLEP exams
Even if one is suspicious of the wider acceptance of these types of programs, one could consider it free prep for high school aged kids to prepare towards paying universities, or for adults with ADHD who want to see if they can commit to it before (perhaps once again) paying and dropping out.
The major one I've heard that you haven't mentioned is Study.com. There are alternatives depending on the school you’re planning to transfer into like Saylor Academy, which is free, or StraighterLine, and Study.com is a little more expensive than any of those, but a larger selection of ACE (American Council on Education) credits available to transfer into particular schools. Recently they changed up their operations so that exams are no longer proctored, so if that would be a hassle or off-putting for you to install their programs on your computer and record yourself and your screen while testing, it's no longer something you have to deal with. It comes up a bunch in the culture around accelerating through your degree and some of the resources they host include the Degree Forum, Major Mash, College Hacked, and Plotted Path
Schools that come up a bit in these circles are schools like Western Governors University or University of Maine at Presque Isle which will take in a considerable amount of transfer credits but are also competency based allowing you to pay for a term of schooling and complete as many classes as you can with all the course work available at once, letting you skip to the final exam at any time. People have been known to take up to the limit of 90 ACE credits and sign up for a term, being able to get degrees in a matter of months for a couple thousand dollars total, possibly less depending on how financial aid turns out for them.
Focusing on transfer credits and degree completion is Thomas Edison State University, in that it only requires a couple classes and a capstone project to be taken at the university and will let you test out of particular classes when that option is available. There is a considerable fee if you take less than 5 conventional classes with them, but if you want to import nearly your entire degree, that's an option.
If you have your heart set on a particular college experience or would rather take classes in person or want nothing to do with college, that's all valid and none of this is relevant for you. But if you want a degree for a hiring manager to recognize that you have a degree or just want that sense of accomplishment without losing that chunk of time or paying through the nose for it, there are options that a lot of people go through and it seems to work well for them.
It's worth knowing that many states already have dual enrollment programs for advanced high school students that allow them to attend courses at paying universities (with the state paying for them). The details differ from state to state, but almost every state has at least one such dual enrollment program, and many have more than one. The courses count for high school credit and can usually be transferred as college credit towards your degree afterwards (though, as with any college credit, it's up to the university you're entering which transfer credits they accept). I did this for all my courses senior year of high school and knocked out a few gen eds. The courses were typically easier than the equivalent AP courses would've been, and the scheduling was definitely more flexible. I wish I'd done it for my junior year as well the way some of my peers did.
oh wow that's a great program. took a quick look and some Canadian universities also offer dual enrollment.
I only managed to do AP Psych and it was quite manageable. But I probably could have used easier versions of AP calc
The exact difficulty of the courses ofc depends on the university you attend as part of the program, but for me the calculus course was definitely easier and better-paced than its AP equivalent. Honestly just the increased amount of time outside class to spend as I wanted rather than being trapped in a high school environment was a big enough advantage for me.
This seems like a pretty good deal imo. For someone who always felt like an MBA was a waste of money, for example, this completely changes that calculation.