NEW YORK, April 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Modern States Education Alliance, a philanthropy dedicated to making a college degree more affordable and accessible to everyone, today announced that March 2020 included record days of growth for the organization. To date, more than 210,000 people are registered for the rapidly-growing free college program, which enables learners of any age and background to earn academic credit at more than 2,900 major colleges and universities within the United States.
Modern States is a practical on-ramp into the traditional college system. Its “Freshman Year for Free” program offers the first-ever catalog of tuition-free online courses for more than 30 core collegiate freshman subjects that lead to college credit. Taught by professors from leading universities, including Columbia, Johns Hopkins and George Washington University, Modern States' free online courses prepare students for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams offered by the College Board.
“With activities cancelled and social distancing guidelines in place, we are seeing many individuals turn to Modern States, which is always open, to further their education while also occupying their time at home,” said Steve Klinsky, founder and CEO of Modern States. “The sustained growth of the program speaks to the need for online pathways to higher education and new ways to support individuals who want to attain their educational goals.”
Modern States pays for all CLEP test fees and proctoring expenses, which cost more than $100 per student. More than 30,000 CLEP exams have been paid for by Modern States, saving students about $45 million in total tuition. Each course and exam passed can save students and their families $1,000 to $2,000 on tuition, with no taxpayer dollars spent. Research shows that students who pass a CLEP exam are more likely to graduate from college overall, and more likely to do well on the follow-up course.
Modern States also offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses taught by professors from MIT, Rice, Purdue and other top universities. High school students can use all or part of each Modern States AP course to prepare for an AP exam in May. Due to the coronavirus, AP exams will be offered online rather than in-person at high schools. The online exams, administered by The College Board, will be 45 minutes long with written answers and no multiple-choice questions.
Registering for Modern States’ courses is free and easy. Sign up here. Modern States courses can be accessed from any device with internet access, including a cell phone. Students include high school and college students, adult learners, including military veterans and their families, home schoolers and others.
About Modern States
The Modern States Education Alliance is a NYC-based philanthropy dedicated to making a college degree more affordable and accessible for everyone. Its first initiative is “Freshman Year for Free”: more than 30 online college courses available tuition-free for credit, from top university professors available to anyone with an Internet connection. Students can use these courses to earn college credits by preparing for and taking AP and CLEP exams, as offered by the College Board. Learn more at ModernStates.org.