“I’m going to get almost the entire same experience, and the only thing I’m really missing is going into class and dorming,” he said. “To me, it was just almost a no-brainer.”
More students like Helman are discovering there is another way into their dream schools.
Students who don’t get into major public flagships the traditional way are still participating in the social life of these campuses. The small-but-mighty group is moving to college towns, enrolling in online programs or nearby community colleges, living in private housing, joining Greek life, and attending game-day tailgates. The approach is sanctioned by the universities, which are expanding alternative-enrollment programs. [...]
Helman’s UF offer was to the school’s Pathway to Campus Enrollment program, which requires students to start online before transitioning to full in-person status. The program has exploded from about 250 students in 2015 to nearly 3,000 in fall 2024, according to the school’s website.
Helman will share a Gainesville, Fla., apartment with three other PaCE students who are moving from out-of-state, and said he has spoken to many others planning to relocate. He chose the program over traditional acceptances, some with scholarships and honors, including at the University of South Carolina, Seton Hall and University of Tennessee.
“This was his dream school,” said his mother, Maria Debowska-Helman. She added that his tuition would be cheaper than a traditional UF student’s. The optional fee package will cost around $550 for a semester, depending on the number of course credits. [...]
It is also controversial. Some students view these alternative pathways as “a cheat code,” Kraemer said. Some consultants agree, at times pointing to limited major-transfer options and instead pushing students to traditional paths.
by Roshan Fernandez, Wall Street Journal | Read more:
Image: Maria Debowska-Helman
