Interesting Reads This Week

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I spent part of this week sweltering in Atlanta, learning some cool things and meeting even cooler people at InStride Impact. But what did I read during the long plane rides there and back?

Stairway to enrollment heaven

One of the things I like to track is how institutions articulate their growth plans for online learning. Early next week, the University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees will meet, and among the materials provided are charts outlining the online learning growth ambitions for the flagship campus, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Even with demographic forecasts predicting a decline in Tennessee high school graduates between now and 2028, UT Knoxville is pursuing some ambitious growth plans, particularly in the online space. It will be interesting to see how they fare in an increasingly competitive online environment, especially at the graduate level. Potential policy changes, such as the proposed elimination of Grad PLUS loans, could further complicate these plans, if passed as part of the current congressional reconciliation process.

Business class at economy prices

A glimpse of this competitive environment can be seen in Purdue’s recent announcement to cut the tuition cost of its online MBA program.

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