By Sydney Johnson, EdSurge
Free community college programs are springing up around the country, aiming to bring more students to local higher-ed institutions. But several colleges experimenting with such programs are avoiding a tactic that other public institutions are increasingly using to boost numbers: online learning. That’s the case in Tennessee—one of the first states to introduce a free college program, called Tennessee Promise—where advisors at some campuses steer students participating in the program away from online courses. Students entering their first year in Tennessee Promise aren’t prohibited from taking online courses, says Judy Lowe, assistant vice president for academic resources and testing at Chattanooga State Community College. However, she and other officials at Chattanooga State worry that sending students straight into online courses might hurt their chances of success.
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