Started just six years ago, Axia College, the two-year division of the University of Phoenix, has become one of the largest associate-degree-granting colleges in the country, with more than 200,000 students.
But how closely does it resemble a traditional community college? Created for a different demographic than Phoenix's mostly white-collar, midcareer professionals, Axia serves students who are typically entry-level workers with little or no previous college experience. While Phoenix offered associate degrees before starting Axia—mostly for students in the military—its two-year program took off with the help of the company's marketing muscle, tapping many prospective students who were academically unprepared for bachelor's-level work.
Axia attracts the same kind of students who might otherwise attend a local community college, and their experience may be similar. But there are differences between the two. The Chronicle takes a closer look:
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Community colleges Axia College
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Axia College
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Mission
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Serve a broad range of students, including the recent high-school graduate, the career changer, and the senior citizen taking classes for personal enrichment. Offer both vocational/technical and general-education courses. Also work closely with local businesses and work-force-development boards.
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Part of the University of Phoenix, it is not considered a stand-alone community college. Rather, it is designed as a steppingstone for students primarily planning to pursue bachelors degrees and beyond.
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Type of Student
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Students average age is 29, but nearly half are 21 or younger. They tend to be first-generation college students, and often minority students, who hold down jobs while attending classes.
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The average age is 33. As at community colleges, students tend to be first-generation and minority-group members, with jobs.
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Format
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Courses are offered in various formats (online, televised, accelerated, traditional classroom, and evening/weekend). A hybrid formatcombining online and traditional classroom-based instructionis offered at most two-year institutions.
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Courses are offered entirely online. Students take two courses every nine weeks, with classes capped at 20 students.
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Academic Programs
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Offer associate degrees, certificate programs, and some bachelors degrees. The number of programs varies according to the size and location of the institution, but can range from 30 to 100, and sometimes more.
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Offers associate degrees in 21 concentrations, including accounting, psychology, health-care administration, and information technology. The college does not offer certificate programs.
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Cost
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Tuition averages about $85 per credit hour. Twenty-one percent of community-college students received federal financial aid in the 2007-8 academic year, the latest figures available.
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Tuition is about $345 per credit hour. Phoenix officials say they dont track what proportion of students receive federal financial aid.
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Comments
1. velvis - February 08, 2010 at 09:24 am
I work for Axia. Actually one of my classes started today at 12am.
While a lot of my students are not ready for a traditional university or even for UoP, I have to respect them for doing it and for dealing with me.
I don't accept late work with out a penalty, if at all.
I crack down on grammar and APA formatting in which many of them don't have any experience.
I make them work and don't give out the grades that many would expect to see at a community college.
A lot of them bloom, and I love to witness it.
Some of them don't make it through the class, some of them don't belong because they're better students than this displays.
And now that I see they get charged $345 a credit hour, I want a raise!
2. bronwyns - February 08, 2010 at 07:04 pm
I also work for Axia College. I am very proud to be working for Axia and helping this group of students. I stand by what my colleague said above (including the raise, lol).
If we're really serious about equality in education, we have to reach out to a broader group then the community colleges can reach. If there wasn't a gap here, then Univ. of Phoenix (and Axia) would not be so successful.
3. dmaratto - February 08, 2010 at 09:33 pm
Cost
CC: Tuition averages about $85 per credit hour. Twenty-one percent of community-college students received federal financial aid in the 2007-8 academic year, the latest figures available.
Axia: Tuition is about $345 per credit hour. Phoenix officials say they dont track what proportion of students receive federal financial aid.
That's exploitative.
4. dmaratto - February 08, 2010 at 09:36 pm
Let me clarify: at CC, we told students about all their options, including other schools/kinds of educational institutions, and helped them make informed choices. I doubt that at Axia, students are being told "Well, you can get the same associate's degree for about 1/4 at a community college, but hey, come here instead." This sounds to me like it is shameless profiteering off of vulnerable and ill-informed students who badly want education but think they don't have options. Sick, man
5. seisei - February 11, 2010 at 03:49 pm
May I advise Velvis to crack down hard on the grammar mistakes and the linguistic incoherence in his/her post, and suggest to Bronwyns that faculty should adopt good practice in proofing their posts. If the posts by the two Axia staff are indicative of the standard of language tuition Axia students receive, perhaps we have a sub-prime educational problem. dmaratto's post may well have it right. Bronwyns notes that Axia is successful. That is presumably financially successful. Is there any evidence that it is academically successful, and, to take up dmaratto's point, that it is cost-effective?