Many institutions allow residential students to dabble in online courses as they work through their schedule of face-to-face classes. The California State University System takes that offering one step further, presenting full-time students at all of the system’s 23 institutions with the option to enroll for free in one online course per semester at another Cal State institution.
The system has allowed residential students to take one free online course per semester at other campuses since 2013 -- and more than 2,400 students have taken advantage, according to Mike Uhlenkamp, interim senior director of public affairs. The provision was codified in California state law in 2015. But the pool of online courses was more limited, and the institution didn’t advertise this option as widely as it will now, Uhlenkamp said.
Cal State students can now access the full range of online courses with CSU Fully Online, a database launched Wednesday. The option is available to students who have completed at least one semester and 12 credits; achieved a GPA of at least 2.0; and paid the full-time tuition price.