Changing a college’s name is fraught with risk and I’m not talking about making the transition from college to university either. A complete name change can confuse students, undermine the support of alumni, or meet with community opposition.

Of course, a name change can be a very good thing and, in the case of Heritage College now calling itself Kaplan College, can strengthen a school’s identity. After all, when your parent company is owned by The Washington Post Company, you want to strengthen what you already have — a recognizable name in higher education.

By changing its name to Kaplan College, the Las Vegas-based school is now formally recognized as being part of the Kaplan family. Kaplan, Inc. is a global provider of education services.

“With campuses across the country, the Kaplan name brings national recognition to our school with a well known reputation among educators and employers,” said Ron Dillman, executive director of Kaplan College.

Kaplan College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). The campus serves approximately 350 students and currently offers five associate degree and diploma programs. Among the areas of study offered include criminal justice, medical assistant, pharmacy technician, medical insurance coder & biller, and computer support technician.

Kaplan College is part of Kaplan Higher Education, which serves 80,000 students through more than 70 campus-based schools across the United States and in Europe. Kaplan also offers an online program for students who wish to further their education through distant learning.

(Source: Kaplan College)

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Tags: distant learning, Heritage College, Kaplan College, Kaplan University, The Washington Post Company

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

Advancing Your Education Through Online Study

A Growing Trend: No More College Entrance Exams

Establish a College Budget

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