New StraighterLine Podcast Indentifies Solution To Increasing Tuition And Transfer Fees

StraighterLine (www.straighterline.com), a new online education solution that provides students a high quality, better supported, and lower cost way to obtain college credits through regionally accredited colleges and universities, has announced the release of a podcast offering new solutions in response to the rise in college tuition and transfer fees. The podcast features commentary from Burck Smith, CEO of SMARTHINKING and StraighterLine (SL), and Ryan Busch, director of StraighterLine. The SL executives lay out specific solutions to allow students substantial cost savings while pursuing their college degree.

From 1993 to 2004, annual inflation-adjusted tuition increases at public colleges averaged 4 percent, while those at private, non-profit colleges averaged 3.5 percent. Cumulative results over this period show average public tuitions growing 53 percent above inflation, and average private, nonprofit tuitions growing 47 percent above inflation. As of 2004, private, nonprofit colleges cost on average of 3.3 times as much as public colleges attended by residents of their states.*

With StraighterLine, students can select to take a single course for $399 or use the "StraighterLine for $99" model which allows students to access all SL courses for $99 per month with no start-up costs and no time limit for course completion.

StraighterLine represents the only online education source providing up to 24/7 on-demand instructional guidance. The program leverages SMARTHINKING’s online tutors, which to date have provided more that 1 million tutoring sessions to college students. SMARTHINKING, founded in 1999 and the parent company of StraighterLine, is an award-winning market leader in providing online tutoring and academic support to students. It launched the StraighterLine division in September 2008.

Currently StraighterLine offers six entry-level college courses, including College Algebra, English Composition I, Accounting I, Accounting II, Economics I: Macroeconomics and Economics II: Microeconomics, and two developmental courses, with more planned. Courses completed through the StraighterLine program can be awarded college credit by regionally accredited partner colleges. Student-earned credits may also be transferred to non-partner colleges that recognize the StraighterLine’s partner’s courses as equivalent programs.

The podcast is now available for download at www.mmimarketing.com/files/straighterlinesanswertoincreasedtuitionandtransferfees.mp3.

All StraighterLine podcasts are available online at StraighterLine’s social network Web site located at: http://straighterline.ning.com.

* National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Education
Average institutional charges for tuition and required fees.

Related Links:
www.straighterline.com
www.smarthinking.com
www.mmimarketing.com/blog/?author=straighterline
http://straighterline.ning.com

Quotes:
"Tuition increases have many obvious impacts, and many that are not so obvious," said Smith. "First, tuition increases clearly limit the number of students that can go to college. Second, those who do start have trouble completing for a variety of reasons. Third, those who do complete, and maybe even don’t complete, are faced with a huge debt burden."

About StraighterLine:
StraighterLine provides students with a new online option for obtaining required college credits from accredited colleges and universities. StraighterLine’s affordable courses are the first to include up to 24/7 live, on-demand instruction. StraighterLine offers six entry-level college courses, including College Algebra, English Composition I, Accounting I, Accounting II, Economics I: Macroeconomics and Economics II: Microeconomics, and two developmental courses, with many more planned. StraighterLine students may choose to receive credit from StraighterLine’s regionally accredited partner colleges. Student-earned credits may also be transferable to non-partner colleges that recognize StraighterLine’s partner’s courses as equivalent programs. There are no set due dates for StraighterLine courses. Students may start and stop at any point with up to six months of access. StraighterLine offers two remarkable pricing programs; individual courses cost only $399, include 10 hours of one-on-one instructional support, and allow up to six months of access; and the StraighterLine for $99 program: a $99 per month subscription with no additional start-up costs which includes unlimited access to any and all courses one at a time, plus 10 total hours of one-on-one instructional support, with no minimum or maximum time limit for course completion. For more information, visit www.straighterline.com or call 202-507-7020 or 1-877-str8erline (1-877-787-8375).

Tags:
SMARTHINKING, StraighterLine, Ryan Busch, Burck Smith, Online Education, Online Tutoring, Education Technology, Online Academic Support, E-structor, e-Scholars, McGraw-Hill, Blackboard, Whiteboard, Online Learning, College Accreditation, Partner Colleges, Accredited Institutions, Podcast, Online Education Trends, e-learning, Grand Canyon University, Fort Hays State University, Potomac College, Jones International University, Education Podcast

Patty Briguglio
MMI Associates, Inc.
919-233-6600
patty@mmimarketing.com
PR Firms Raleigh, NC

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