University of the People (UoPeople), the first non-profit, tuition-free, American, accredited online University, has announced its partnership with Sophia Learning, an online, on-demand, self-paced learning platform, to provide UoPeople students with an affordable option to complete online general education courses.
Under this partnership, UoPeople’s 126,000 students will immediately access Sophia’s course catalogue for $99 monthly. It will help ensure Sophia’s courses are seamlessly transferred to UoPeople to help students complete an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
Sophia will offer UoPeople students access to more than 50 high-quality, college-level courses through an affordable monthly subscription that includes learning coaches and integrated course materials. Students can move through courses quickly, and Sophia’s courses are recommended for college credit by the American Council on Education. UoPeople students can take as many Sophia courses in a month as they wish – on their own time – and can be actively enrolled in two courses at a time.
Speaking on the partnership, Founder & President of UoPeople, Shai Reshef, said:
With a partnership focused on offering low-cost educational alternatives, Sophia students can continue their studies at UoPeople and earn their undergraduate degree from a quality, accredited online institution tuition-free. UoPeople students can use Sophia’s subscription on-demand learning model to increase their choices of flexible and affordable learning options. This innovative pathway to earning a college credential at an affordable cost is the future of higher education.
UoPeople was founded in 2009 and accredited in February 2014; helps high school graduates overcome financial, geographic, political, and personal constraints keeping them from college studies. The University offers certificates, associate and bachelor’s degree programs in business administration, computer science, and health science, as well as master’s degree programs in business administration, information technology, and education. The platform has over 126,000 students from more than 200 countries and territories.
Chief Executive Officer of Sophia Learning, Dr Shawna Thayer, added:
I am excited to welcome the University of the People to Sophia’s growing list of impressive university partners. Our mission at Sophia is to provide accessible, affordable general education options to all – especially those in need – and to partner with another organization whose mission is so aligned with ours is inspiring.
UoPeople believes that access to higher education is a basic right that promotes world peace and global economic development. It is committed to providing those young people with a tuition–free education. The University has partnered with Harvard Business School Online, New York University, McGill University, and the University of Edinburgh. The Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation and Hewlett Foundation have supported it.
Sophia Learning allows students at any stage of their higher education journey to start or continue by taking affordable and flexible college-level general education courses that are ACE®-recommended for college credit. The platform claims its students have completed over 250,000 courses, earning more than 750,000 credits and saving more than $200 million. The company believes that personal and professional advancement should be affordable and accessible to students at every stage of their educational career. Since 2012, it has been providing high-quality online courses for college-level credit with a curriculum committed to meeting the higher education needs of students and working adults.
In February this year, Sophia Learning announced its collaboration with Labster, the world’s leading EdTech platform for virtual labs and interactive science, to deliver college-level science courses incorporating Labster’s simulation content.
