Steven B. Klinsky, 58 a New York professional investor who founded the private equity firm New Mountain Capital, is proposing a way for high school students to take one year of college online for free.
To carry out his vision, he has donated $1 million to edX –the MIT and Harvard University overseen online venture– and has formed a nonprofit group group, the Modern States Education Alliance.
His idea, announced last week through the Washington Post, is to have 20 new edX courses, in addition to an existing 10, that would prepare students to pass Advanced Placement (AP) or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests so they can be able to take freshman year for free and start in college as sophomores.
Mr. Kinsky’s “Freshman Year for Free” initiative occurs while President Obama is proposing that community college should be free.
By using this funding, edX will add these additional courses to its current suite of AP and introductory college-level courses currently offered on its platform.
“These additional courses will ensure that every major subject covered by a College Board Advanced Placement* or CLEP* exam will be offered on edX.org. Students completing the courses will have an opportunity to pass exams and gain credit from traditional colleges and universities. All courses are planned to launch and be open for registration on edX.org within the next 18 months,” edX explains.
“These courses will cover important freshman college subjects, ranging from math, science and history courses, to economics, anthropology, philosophy, foreign languages, and English.”
“Each course will be developed by edX university partners, and will include quizzes, tests, assessments, online discussion groups and other features. Texts and materials will also be provided to students free of charge, online.”
For decades, many colleges have offered credit to students for high scores on AP tests. Credits are also available through the College-Level Examination Program, known as CLEP.
Modern States intends to add tutoring, counseling, mentoring and college guidance to its portal over time, and to continuously update and expand the course offerings.
“No one should be shut out of education after high school because of tuition cost or lack of access,” said Steven Klinsky, Modern States’ founder and chairman. “Modern States’ goal is to create at least one universally available and tuition free path toward high quality education for anyone who seeks it.
Another initiative to make college free came from Shai Reshef, founder of University of the People. His TED talk last summer has been viewed by more than a million people.