Can a ‘Pay as You Go’ Model Work for Higher Education?

By Matthew Tabor. We think of the cost of higher education as a series of massive bills — typically twice a year — for a semester’s worth of classes. But could that model be replaced by pay-as-you-go pricing that fits personal budgets better than going into massive debt and finding a way to haul yourself out of it?
New Charter University is experimenting with a subscription plan that mimics what is already familiar to consumers — it’s not unlike a cellphone plan. For $199, a student has access to a month of New Charter’s offerings.
They’re not the only ones changing pricing models. StraighterLine, another ed provider, sells access for $99 per month and an additional $49 per class. Read more...