Thomas Edison State University's role in the program will study how to use financial aid to cover the cost of online courses.
TRENTON -- Thomas Edison State University has been chosen as one of eight universities nationwide for an experimental federal pilot program seeking to connect students using non-traditional training with federal financial aid.
Thomas Edison's role in the program will study how to use financial aid to cover the cost of alternative credit courses through Study.com, and ultimately help students complete their degrees.
The pilot program is called Educational Quality through Innovation Partnerships, or, EQUIP and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and university unveiled it Tuesday.
EQUIP's overall aim is to expand access to higher education, particularly for low-income students, the DOE said.
Thomas Edison already partners with Study.com, offering more than 60 courses that can be accepted as credit in the university's undergraduate degree programs.
EQUIP at Thomas Edison will offer a bachelor of science in business administration and a bachelor of arts in liberal studies through online, self-paced video courses.
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At least half of students' coursework will be completed by taking Study.com courses and Quality Matters, will monitor quality assurance in the program.
"We are honored to serve as a site of the EQUIP program and work to expand access to higher education programs and support an outcomes-based quality assurance process that focuses on student learning," said Dr. George A. Pruitt, president of Thomas Edison State University.
EQUIP falls under the federal education department's Experimental Sites Initiative, which allows statutory and regulatory flexibility for post-secondary institutions.
"I'm thrilled that students will soon have access to these innovative programs, developed in partnership with colleges and new providers, with the help of federal financial aid," U.S. Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell said in a statement.
"As these innovative programs continue to develop, it will be increasingly important to understand what an outcomes-based quality assurance system looks like for such programs. I am encouraged to see that these colleges, providers, and quality assurance entities have stepped forward to provide models for doing so," Mitchell said in the statement.
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