Free online summer course admission fills up quickly

After Utah State University announced incoming students would be able to take a free online course over the summer, the funding was used up in less than a week. 

Emilie Wheeler, USU’s public information officer, said 212 students have signed up for a free 3-credit class, and 30 more are pending based on information from their FAFSA.   

“There isn’t a way for students to continue to apply because we have enough interest,” Wheeler said.  

In USU’s registration portal, Banner, more than 300 courses are offered online during the summer. Most of these count toward general education requirements, but other electives are available as well. 

USU’s summer offer is geared toward new, incoming students. Wheeler said several of the students taking advantage of the free course are applying for residency. 

“Because of COVID-19, students had to return home,” she said. “So we’re trying to be as student friendly as possible within the residency law. One option was for students to show intent of being in Utah, and that includes taking a class. With online being that option, the only option, we’re counting the summer semester toward residency regardless of them being in the state or not.”

Wheeler said offering the free course was USU’s way of using the $350,000 emergency federal funding that had to be used this summer. 

“This is what university administrators decided because they know how hard everything has been on students,” Wheeler said. “Especially high school seniors who are really in an unknown place right now, they wanted to give them an academic opportunity to boost their college experience a little early.”

Wheeler said USU feels confident in this decision as USU’s online education program is the oldest in the state. 

“They know what they’re doing,” she said. “The hope was that students could choose from high quality courses designed for online delivery, even before all of this happened, and get the best academic experience possible.”

For more information, Wheeler recommended students visit https://www.usu.edu/summer/offer.