Missouri’s support for private online university is questioned

It may seem odd that a state with no shortage of public colleges is urging its citizens to consider a private school. Yet that’s exactly what Missouri is doing, the St. Louis Dispatch reports. In recent months, Gov. Jay Nixon has been featured in a variety of advertisements for Western Governors University, a nonprofit online school that’s opening an office in Missouri. The governor also has issued an executive order directing state agencies to help the school establish its Missouri operation. And to help with startup costs, Missouri is providing a $4 million community development block grant. That isn’t exactly new. After all, Nixon mentioned his interest in the school during his January State of the State speech. But with Western Governors University Missouri ramping up its presence — the school recently hired a chancellor and is opening an office in St. Louis — people are starting to notice. Some even wonder why the governor is throwing his support behind a private university that could be seen as a competitor for taxpayer-supported institutions.

Read more

…Read More

Washington online university aims for state financial aid

Washington State’s only accredited online university is getting closer to providing state tuition assistance, KNDO reports. WGU Washington (Western Governors University, Washington) is a fully online university that aims to offer affordable and convenient options for anyone pursuing higher education. Students can currently apply and receive federal financial aid, but a Senate bill, (recently passed in the Washington State House and Senate) would ultimately let students apply for state need grants too. WGU Washington Chancellor, Jean Floten, says since the majority of the students are working adults, the extra financial aid makes a huge difference. “We do our share by low tuition,” she said, “but for that student that is confronted with, ‘do I feed my kids or pay my mortgage,’ this is the difference between being able to do that and not have to take that second job.”

Read more

…Read More

Free online university boosting students’ computer access

University of the People aims to enroll 15,000 students in its first five years.
University of the People aims to enroll 15,000 students in its first five years.

The free online University of the People has teamed up with a global computing network, aiming to harness the network’s computer resources in six developing nations where students are often without internet access.

The university, launched in September 2009 with an inaugural class of 179 students, announced its partnership with the nonprofit World Computer Exchange (WCE) on July 21. Officials from University of the People and the WCE—which aims to bolster technology in the developing world—said their goal was to establish communication centers in six developing countries by January.

The WCE, which has 2,650 computer labs globally, will provide web access to students who want to take free online classes but can’t afford it or don’t have a computer, officials said.…Read More

Oops! We could not locate your form.