This article isn’t an endorsement of Andrew Jackson University, rather it is our way of shining the light on the various happenings across academia.

Probably the most important concern for students and their parents when it comes to college is how to pay for it. Indeed, even when scholarships and grant money is offered tuition bills can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Thus, when we learned that a school based in Alabama has a program in place that charges no tuition, our interest was naturally piqued.

As a backgrounder, Andrew Jackson University or AJU is a for-profit, online or distance learning school. AJU offers Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees in Business and Criminal Justice, with Communication, Public Administration, Health Care Management, and Psychology among the other degrees offered. Formed in 1994, the university has been accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).

Sponsored Tuition Program Now Available

In a novel way of helping students cover the cost of their tuition, AJU has developed a sponsored tuition program where private companies cover tuition costs in exchange for enrollment in their programs. Three companies are currently acting as sponsors; I chose one of them when I signed up which involved me sharing minimal personal information about myself (email, phone, address). You are required to pay a $75 application fee to enroll and, if accepted into the program you’re responsible for covering the cost of your books and certain fees.

AJU President Don Kassner explained the university’s zero tuition program in a recently released press release by saying, “Most universities spend a tremendous amount of money to recruit students. Many spend as much as thirty-five percent of their revenue on marketing and advertising. They have to keep their tuition high to recover these costs. We eliminated these costs by structuring relationships with strategic partners that refer potential students to us. Therefore, we can operate a quality, degree granting institution without the escalating tuition and excessive fees deemed necessary by many schools.”

AJU’s sponsored tuition program is currently limited to one hundred students per month, but the university has plans to increase that number gradually over time.

(Source: Andrew Jackson University)

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Tags: Alabama, Andrew Jackson University, associates degree, Bachelor's Degree, Birmingham, distance learning, internet, masters degree

The University of Phoenix has been offering degrees, mostly online, to tens of thousands of students across the country, even from around the world for many years now. The school’s success can be attributed to its cutting edge business model which makes learning something that students can do on their own time. Hundreds of thousands of Phoenix grads have college degrees today who probably wouldn’t have one otherwise.

Axia College got its start in 2004 by the Apollo Group, the same business which owns the University of Phoenix. Axia is in fact, a part of the University of Phoenix, but it serves a different type of student — the one with little or no college experience, the person who is most likely to attend a community college.

Inside Higher Ed recently published an article, “A National Community College?,” to describe the Axia program. Only associates degrees are offered at the school, putting it into direct competition with government-funded community and technical colleges around the nation. Last year, the school issued more than 13,000 associates degrees and currently boasts more than 100,000 students in their program.

Unlike its parent school, Axia College students follow a schedule which requires them to take two classes at a time in each nine-week block. And, unlike the typical community college student, most Axia enrollees are older. The University of Phoenix is geared toward white collar workers who are looking to complete their degrees or obtain advanced degrees, while the atypical Axia student usually has less than 15 credits to transfer to the school’s program.

But, what Axia does have in common with our nation’s community colleges is its appeal to students who are usually under served in higher education, students who might otherwise not attend college or who could use some extra “hand holding” as they prepare to transfer to a college offering four-year degrees. In Axia’s case, the University of Phoenix hopes students will continue on with their studies with them, but that isn’t a requirement.

Perhaps the most striking contrast between traditional community colleges and Axia College is education costs. Credits and fees average $98 at government schools while Axia charges more than three times that amount, $325 per credit most recently. The higher cost isn’t hurting Axia, however, as the school’s enrollment numbers continue to surge; the school’s compressed learning schedule apparently is a big draw, something students appear to value more than value in education.

Further Reading

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University of Phoenix Owners Must Pay Damages

Tags: associates degree, Axia College, college students, community college, distant learning, online study, student aid, University of Phoenix