The U.S. is one of the most expensive places in the world to attend college, yet receiving higher education has long been revered as a means of achieving the American Dream, according to Campus, a newly launched edtech company.
As rising tuition costs risk counterintuitively affecting the success of students across the country, Campus wants to remove cost as a roadblock to receiving a quality higher education.
Headquartered in the Big Apple, Campus is an accredited college that aims to make community college accessible to learners across the country. It officially opened enrollment on Monday with a $29 million investment from Discord co-founder Jason Citron and Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, among others.
Campus offers live online and in-person associate degrees and certificate programs with courses taught by educators who also teach at renowned colleges and universities including Princeton University, Spelman College, NYU and the like. Campus’ tuition fees are lower than the maximum amount a Pell Grant recipient can receive. Pell Grants are federal need-based grants given to low-income undergraduate students. These awards vary by state and individuals’ needs.
“A great education — one filled with inspirational professors, fellow students you can learn from and a cadre of supportive advisors — is a critical, but missing, stepping stone for all too many young Americans to get to build the lives they want for themselves,” Tade Oyerinde, founder and chancellor of Campus, said in a statement. “Campus blends the best parts of traditional and online education and combines that with the skills and support that today’s students want and need.”
Campus offers associate degrees in paralegal studies, AWS cloud administration and business administration. It also provides a range of diploma options in fields ranging from cosmetology to medical assistants. In addition to its array of programs, Campus extends advisors’ office hours and free coaching services to its students.
To date, Campus says it has around 850 students enrolled in its programs. About 80 percent of its student base is women, and a large portion of program participants are from underrepresented groups, according to a company release. Most of Campus’ students also work at least 10 hours each week in addition to their course studies, the company mentioned.
“Campus is about maximizing access to world-class education regardless of one’s background or household income. We’re making higher education more accessible, more affordable and more relevant to the real-world challenges and opportunities that students face today,” Oyerinde said.
