For-profit, post-secondary institutions significantly increased in numbers within the last two decades. In the United States, many for-profit colleges and universities offer distance-learning-based and self-paced-based academic and vocational programs from certificate to doctoral degree level to non-traditional, returning, evening and adult…

The issue of the price and cost of distance education courses has been discussed in the past in numerous publications including the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Education. There is a long-held belief among legislators, governors, and other leaders that distance courses should cost less to produce and deliver. To evaluate the…

As proponents continue to make the case that virtual education can expand student choices and improve the efficiency of public education, full-time virtual schools have attracted a great deal of attention. Advocates contend that this potential for individualization allows virtual schools to promote greater student achievement than can be realized…

This "At a Glance" highlights data from "The Condition of Education 2023" including statistics in the following categories: (1) Family Characteristics; (2) Preprimary, Elementary, and Secondary Education; (3) Postsecondary Education; (4) Population Characteristics and Economic Outcomes; and (5) International Comparisons. [For…

First published in 1999, "American Higher Education in the Twenty First Century" offered a comprehensive introduction to the central issues facing American colleges and universities. This thoroughly revised edition brings the classic volume up to date. The contributors have rewritten every chapter to address major changes in higher…

In the 2008-2009 school year, about 2,000 for-profit schools received almost $24 billion in grants and loans provided to students under federal student aid programs. In the early 1990s, Congress was concerned that some for-profit schools receiving federal student aid were recruiting students who were not ready for higher education. Many of these…

The nature, role, and impact of the rapidly growing for-profit degree-granting sector of higher education were studied using a variety of data sources, including field notes. For-profit degree-granting institutions have emerged as an integral and increasingly influential part of the system. Over the past decade, there has been a 78% increase in…

Describes how a federal program let a California for-profit institution, the Masters Institute, expand its distance education offerings, but then led to its closure because of findings of financial aid fraud. (EV)

Higher education is undergoing radical shifts that are part of the larger wave of changes taking place in the society. The transformation affects all sectors of higher education, especially distance learning and how it relates to the University's regular offerings. In this article, the author begins with clarifying the terms commonly associated…