Tuition-Free University Gains a Following

A nonprofit, tuition-free online university started by an Israeli entrepreneur last year has attracted 300 students and is seeking to carve out a niche in the largely commercial online-education field. The University of the People began classes in September with students from nearly 50 countries, mostly in the developing world. Shai Reshef, a veteran of Internet-based educational ventures, has won the backing of the United Nations for the project, which recently announced a research partnership with Yale University.

Full text article by Alison Damast is available via Business Week, 1/24/10.

Online Education, Growing Fast, Eyes the Truly 'Big Time'

Online education is a runaway best seller. At a growth rate of 12.9 percent, online education dwarfs the overall pace of academe’s student expansion. More than 25 percent of all students may have taken at least one online class this year, according to a speculative estimate suggested at a distance-education conference that wraps up here today.

Full text of the article by Marc Parry is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/30/09.

For-Profit Colleges See Large Increases in Enrollment and Revenue

The recession has left nonprofit colleges and universities across the country struggling with budget cuts and uncertainties over enrollment, but many for-profit institutions are reporting record increases in student numbers and revenue—a sign that the recession is prompting more adults and nontraditional students to seek career training.

Full-text article by Erica R. Hendry is available via The Chronicle of Higher Education, 8.25.09.