e-Learning Pundit

At Maryhurst University (OR), a popular digital MBA goes analog.

Naked Law: “8 Reasons College Tuition Is the Next Bubble to Burst”.  The punchline:

…”3) For profit colleges are paying homeless people to take out federal loans to enroll

Because student loans are so easy to acquire, enterprising colleges are paying homeless people to enroll. The math makes sense when you think about it: if paying someone a $2,000 “stipend” gets the college $20,000/year in tuition courtesy of the federal government, that’s money well spent. Unfortunately, many people who accept such “stipend” offers never graduate, become overwhelmed with student debt, and destroy their already bad financial records.”

A vicious circle, without a doubt.

According to this report in the Auburn (AL) Plainsman, Auburn University has begun teaching online ”green” courses for continuing education credit.  More here and here. 

Here’s a novel idea from Randy Moffett: “Let (the) consumer drive price of higher education”.

EMSresponder.com asks if graduate degrees are “worth it for emergency medical services” personnel.  This write-up also defines various graduate degrees.

“Half Price Tuition at University of Texas Permian Basin” this summer.  Cool stuff!  How many other schools will follow?

Microsoft and the State of Montana reach an agreement which offers online classes and certification opportunities to state residents.

For-profit colleges back in the news:

…The study found that high debt is most prevalent among students who graduated from for-profit institutions, where more than 50 percent of 2007-08 bachelor’s degree recipients graduated with $30,500 or more in debt…

Boooo. Undergraduate tuition rates increasing in Nebraska.

…Under a proposal approved last week by the Nebraska State College System board of trustees, undergraduates from Nebraska will pay nearly $129 an hour at the three state schools. They are in Chadron, Wayne and Peru.

The new semester tuition will cost more than $1,900 for a full, 15-hour schedule.

Nonresident undergraduates will pay nearly $258 per credit hour. Undergraduate online courses will cost $190 per credit hour…

The three previously mentioned colleges also have some of the more attractive tuition rates for distance learners.

Back in the classroon at 40-50 years-old young.  An inspiring piece from the Montclarion (Montclair State University, NJ) student newspaper.

More tuition increases affecting distance learners.  Central Michigan University is guilty this time.

A few weeks ago, we mentioned a mayor who came under fire for her bogus degree.  She’s since resigned.

University of Louisiana System President Randy Moffett wants to expand distance learning (scroll halfway down the page).  Louisiana universities, especially Louisiana Tech University and Northwestern State University, offers some of the best tuition rates for non-residents in the USA.

According the the Edinboro University (PA) student newspaper, the university’s Master of Education ranked highly among online graduate programs in the current issue of US News & World Report.

…Edinboro University’s online Master of Education programs are again cited in the current issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine for being among the nation’s largest online graduate programs.

While ranked 19th of the top 20 such programs in 2009, Edinboro’s current ranking of 14th in the top 25 listing demonstrates even greater student acceptance and satisfaction with online programming in graduate studies…

Here’s a fact sheet describing, among other things, online degree programs at Rutgers University (NJ). 

Eastern Kentucky University online course tuition is scheduled to rise, although not until after this coming fall.

…They set the tuition for online courses at 130 percent of the rate charged for classroom courses, up from 125 percent. The additional money will be paid as incentives to faculty to develop and teach online courses, said Dr. Janna Vice, interim university provost….

Liberty University (VA) now has 50,000 students in its online student body.

Compliance Week subscribers: Receive 20% off tuition at New England College of Business and Finance.

- According the The Daily O’Collegian at Oklahoma State University, “online students face fewer fees“.  Heck yeah!

- Interesting.  University of Denver (CO) has a fairly large adult, non-traditional student body at its University College.  As a result, a vast array of graduate-level classes are offered to students around the world.  But now, a few more such courses incorporating distance learning are being taught to undergrads across campus.

- Here’s an article on Rio Salado College and retirees.  Please remember you’re never too old to return back to school.

- The New York Times presents two articles on social media.  The first is in the context of universities.  And, likewise, a second piece deals with how B-schools address social media utilization.

- From Inside Higher Ed via USA Today: ”Community college dean adds human touch to distance learning”.

…For Hersh, engagement goes hand-in-hand with audio-visual communication. The more that exchanges occurring within an online learning environment resemble those that occur in classrooms, he says, the more that students will feel connected to their professors and classmates, and the more likely they will be to stay in a program…

Huh? A human touch to distance learning? No way.

Governor Jindal proposes legislation which may increase tuition at state universities in Bayou country.

…Remedial classes would disappear at four-year schools, along with most associate degree programs, in an effort to steer students seeking those courses to less expensive community colleges. Online courses would have to be expanded.

In exchange, schools could raise their tuition and fee costs — without a vote of the Legislature — by up to 10 percent a year until they reach the average of similar schools in the South. LSU would be able to raise its tuition until it reaches the average of similar flagship schools nationally….

Louisiana universities, especially Louisiana Tech University and Northwestern State University, offer some of the most affordable tuition rates for online learners in the USA.  This includes out-of-state residents.

If undecided about taking a masters or bachelors online, now may be a good time to act. 

From my contact up in the Last Frontier (Alaska), here’s another great piece of valuable information concerning tuition for non-residents at Alaskan public universities:

…Students enrolled for four or fewer credit hours within the UA system during a semester are exempted from nonresident tuition surcharges and treated as a resident for the purpose of tuition assessment if they are a U.S. citizen or an “eligible non-citizen.”…

As noted previously, numerous programs are available through the University of Alaska system for distance learners. Taking 9-12 hours per year — especially graduate hours — while paying resident tuition charges comes out to be a pretty good deal.