Even before COVID, higher education degree-seeking students were enrolling in online classes to complete some or all of their degree requirements. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, in the fall of 2019, approximately 7.3 million undergraduate students were enrolled in some distance education courses at a degree-granting postsecondary institution, and more than 3.4 million students were enrolled exclusively in online classes.
Online universities continue to grow in popularity for several reasons, including convenience and cost. In fact, when families are considering university programs for their high school seniors, 81 percent took schools out of the running because of cost, according to a 2022 study from Sallie Mae and Ipsos.
In an effort to make earning college degrees more affordable, Walden University, the Minneapolis, Minn.-based private online for-profit university, announced a new pricing model that can significantly decrease the financial burden for newly enrolled students.
The Believe and Achieve Scholarship program provides new undergraduate and graduate students with an opportunity to earn free courses when they complete additional courses. For most Bachelor’s degree programs, students will receive a $1,500 tuition grant at the beginning of the program, and can earn one tuition-free course for every three five-credit courses they complete and pass at Walden. The grant only applies to tuition fees and doesn’t include books and other materials and fees. The school will automatically award the grant to eligible applicants accepted into an eligible degree program.
Master’s program students will receive two tuition-free courses, with savings applied to the final course for 27 eligible degree programs. Walden University will review the admission application materials and award the tuition savings to all eligible students.
In addition to the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs, Walden also offers Tempo Learning, which offers custom-paced instruction and awards credit for real-world work experience. The Believe and Achieve Scholarship program offers a reduction in tuition for Tempo Learning students, based on a three-month subscription and not on specific courses. Walden will give students free tuition for their fifth subscription period for many Bachelor’s and Master’s programs.
"The affordability and accessibility of higher education have become increasingly more difficult for students, especially for nontraditional students like Walden's who may work full-time while pursuing an advanced education," said Walden University President Michael Betz in a prepared statement. "By alleviating some of the financial barriers and providing considerable benefits to continue toward graduation, this scholarship will open doors for students not only during their educational journey, but throughout their lives."
The Believe and Achieve Scholarship will take effect beginning with the February 2023 session.