While Another California-Based Online University Is Thriving
So far it has cost the taxpayers of California over $100 million to graduate twelve people from an online “community college” run by government. Need any more proof that government wastes our money?
“– Calbright College, a non-profit, online community college, was founded two years ago with the goal of providing educational opportunities to California adults who face barriers to attending traditional colleges. Despite the state’s initial pledge of $100 million in start-up fees and $20 million for its annual operating budget, the college has not lived up to its promises and currently enrolls less than 500 students.
In comparison, University of the People (UoPeople), an accredited, non-profit, online university also based in California, is thriving. In the past year alone, enrollment at UoPeople, which is tuition-free and receives no state or federal funding, has skyrocketed from about 25,000 to over 65,00 students and runs on annual operating budget of only $13 million.
As you can tell, once again the private sector is more successful—at much less the cost. The voters need to understand government is inefficient and corrupt. Do not let the Democrats kill our future with bigger government. Both Gavin Newsom and Kevin Faulconer believe in government ownership of the utilities—imagine the cost of that!
Calbright College’s Business Model Is Badly Broken
While Another California-Based Online University Is Thriving
Press Release, University of the People, 5/12/21
Pasadena, California – May 12, 2021 – Calbright College, a non-profit, online community college, was founded two years ago with the goal of providing educational opportunities to California adults who face barriers to attending traditional colleges. Despite the state’s initial pledge of $100 million in start-up fees and $20 million for its annual operating budget, the college has not lived up to its promises and currently enrolls less than 500 students.
In comparison, University of the People (UoPeople), an accredited, non-profit, online university also based in California, is thriving. In the past year alone, enrollment at UoPeople, which is tuition-free and receives no state or federal funding, has skyrocketed from about 25,000 to over 65,00 students and runs on annual operating budget of only $13 million.
“If the State of California wants to educate large numbers of non-traditional students for a fraction of the cost used to fund Calbright College, it should partner with our university instead,” said UoPeople President Shai Reshef. “We have created an innovative business model that optimizes efficiency and significantly lowers the cost of higher education. We can fulfill the educational needs of California’s residents for far less money and with higher quality degree programs.”
The recently released state audit of Calbright clearly shows that its business model is a complete failure and a tremendous waste of California tax dollars. Many state officials are calling for Calbright to be closed and the funds to be reallocated.
“We provide our students with a high-quality, accredited, ultra-low-cost education,” said President Reshef. “Enrollment at University of the People has more than doubled in each of the past five years, clearly demonstrating that our business model works. Even with a limited budget, we are financially sustainable.”
UoPeople does charge a nominal assessment fee of $120 at the end of each undergraduate course and $240 for its graduate-level courses. That means a student can earn an associate degree for $2,460, a bachelor’s degree for $4,860 or a master’s degree for around $3,000. Scholarships are available for those who cannot afford the modest fees.
To provide additional educational opportunities for its students, UoPeople collaborates with a number of prestigious universities around the globe, including Harvard Business School Online, UC Berkeley, NYU, University of Edinburgh and McGill University.
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About University of the People
University of the People (UoPeople) is the Education Revolution. It is the first non-profit, tuition-free, American-accredited online university. Currently there are over 65,000 students from more than 200 countries and territories. Designed to open access to higher education globally, UoPeople helps qualified high school graduates overcome financial, geographic, political, and personal constraints keeping them from collegiate studies. The university offers associate and bachelor’s degree programs in business administration, computer science, and health science, as well as an MBA and M.Ed. program. Graduates of UoPeople can be found working at such companies as Deloitte, Amazon, Apple, Pfizer, Google, Microsoft and IBM. UoPeople collaborates with Harvard Business School Online, New York University, University of California Berkeley, McGill University, Effat University and the University of Edinburgh and has received support from foundations such as the Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation and Hewlett Foundation. Learn more at www.uopeople.edu.
