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CSU To Offer Online Classes For $150

NORTHRIDGE (CBSLA.com) — Students in the California State University system will soon have access to online courses to earn college credit over the Internet.

KNX 1070's Margaret Carrero reports the web-based program will focus on high school students, wait-listed community college students, veterans, and members of the military.

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Scheduled for launch later this month, the program is the result of a partnership between San Jose State University and Silicon Valley-based online education start-up Udacity.

The pilot program will offer courses in elementary math, college algebra and elementary statistics with 100 students each, and will be accessible to high school, California community college, and San Jose State students.

"Gateway" courses including elementary math, college algebra, and elementary statistics will be offered online for a fee of $150 each.

"This investment will help us with the courses across the system that we call 'bottlenecks' or 'gateway' courses, these are the courses that are in high demand," said CSU Chancellor Timothy White.

Gov. Jerry Brown said in addition to easing course overcrowding, the program is ultimately geared toward keeping student loan debt in check.

"The longer you stay, the more you spend...this is a big, huge problem, with student debt approaching $1 trillion," Brown said. "So online is part of that solution."

Last week, Brown introduced his his 2013-2014 state budget proposal calling for a renewed investment in higher education with an additional $125.1 million in state funding, as well as restoring $125 million in cuts from last year's budget.

Of those funds, $10 million has been directed towards online strategies like the Udacity partnership that will allow more students to get through courses that would otherwise slow their progress toward a degree.

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