Three US institutions have joined forces with online course provider StraighterLine and education management business Campus3 to create a ‘First-Year Online Value’ program that allows international students to start their studies in their home country while waiting for a visa.
Launched in January 2019 and offered entirely online, the pathway allows students to “potentially save over $40,000” while combining up to two semester’s worth of online coursework with additional enrolment assistance and academic support.
Upon matriculating at a participating school– currently consisting of Fisher College in Boston, National Louis University in Chicago or New England College in New Hampshire – up to a year’s worth of credit can be transferred.
“Attracting international students [to the US] is getting tougher and tougher,” explained Campus3 CEO Andrew Subryan.
At a cost of $2,000 for tuition per semester (15 credits), the program enables students to earn up to a year’s worth of credit that can be transferred, upon matriculation, at one of the schools participating in the program.
Additionally, as an online student, students can study from where they already live, which eliminates the average $10,000 per year in housing and living costs that most traditional college students have to pay.
The initial focus is on recruiting students from India, South and South East Asia and the Middle East, where Campus3 has an established recruiting base.