Tuition-free online varsity

POPULAR: 400 SA STUDENTS ALREADY ENROLLED

Students across the world are given the opportunity to complete their studies and obtain a globally-recognised degree for free, through US-based University of the People (UoPeople).

Founded by Shai Reshef in 2009, UoPeople is open-source and currently offers 10 000 students in over 200 countries/territories an opportunity to study and complete a degree in Business Administration, MBA Master of Business Administration, Computer Science or Health Science.

Speaking at a gathering in Johannesburg, president Shai Reshef said he wants to use this model to help students and countries facing difficulties in higher education.

“We feel that our role is to build a model, to show the world that higher education can be accessible, affordable and for everyone,” he said.

To enrol, students must be 18 years or older, have completed high school and be proficient in English.

The university is tuition-free; students are only required to pay a standard $100 exam processing fee. He said this is one of the core means of sustaining the school.

Students unable to afford the $100 have the option to apply for scholarships. Regrettably, no scholarships have yet been offered to SA students but Reshef said that over 2 000 students across Africa have enrolled and are awaiting scholarships or sponsorships to begin their studies.

Four hundred South African students have enrolled. According to Reshef, around 1 000 refugees have been given the opportunity to study through UoPeople. He’s working on special projects to educate Syrian refugees and to date has 500 Syrians enrolled.

UoPeople has made agreements with Yale, NYU and Berkeley University in the US to ensure students have access to research material and the chance to transfer credits between institutions.

The school’s accredited by Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). Its main office is based in Pasadena, in the US, with its core functioning IT offices in the West Bank, in Palestine.