Basketball great Shaquille O’Neal is paying for students to take online community college classes this summer. The sports legend is teaming up with newly launched Campus.edu to fund an initiative dubbed Try College.
O’Neal said in a press release, “What we’re seeing today is too many kids wondering if college is still worth it. These students either feel like they aren’t college material or believe the price tag is out of reach, and that’s a shame.”
College enrollment has been on a steep decline since the pandemic, and undergraduate numbers are just starting to recover. Even so, many students are considering less expensive alternatives to a traditional college degree.
Applications for the Try College program are due on June 28th. Applicants must be in their junior or senior year of high school or have recently graduated. A minimum 2.5 GPA is also required, but no test scores are necessary. The application does require a personal statement.
Students who are selected for the Try College program will have four classes to choose from:
- Introduction to Business
- English Composition
- Marketing
- Macroeconomics
These classes are taught by esteemed faculty members from top universities, including the University of California- Berkeley and the University of Maryland.
Upon completion of the course, students can transfer earned credits to the associate’s degree in business administration program offered by Campus. It’s the only degree currently offered, but the accredited school is hoping to expand in the very near future.
You can learn more about the free online courses available and submit your application on the Campus.edu website.
Source: Money— Shaq Is Paying for High School Students to Take College Courses This Summer
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