Dive Summary:
- The University of Texas System pledged $5 million to join edX Monday, the non-profit online program founded by Harvard and MIT, in an effort to satisfy the needs of students, decrease the cost of education and keep pace with the increasing push towards online education.
- Students do not pay for classes on edX unless they want a certificate of completion, while students enrolled at the participating universities can earn college credit by taking edX's courses.
- Since Harvard and MIT each contributed $30 million to start up edX in May 2012, the University of Texas System has joined the University of California, Berkeley as the only members of the program, which aims to rival Coursera as the most prestigious and free-to-low-cost provider of an online education.
From the article:
"... Texas follows the University of California, Berkeley, in joining EdX. Harvard and MIT, both based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced the venture May 2. The two founding schools each chipped in $30 million to finance the not-for-profit organization. A 'modest fee' will be charged for those who want certificates for completing a course in the future, according to a statement on the EdX website.
Currently, students pay nothing to enroll and take classes online, while those who pay tuition to attend the participating schools can earn credit by completing EdX courses. ..."