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Online learning platform edX yesterday announced plans to raise $10 million for a new scholarship campaign called Access for All.
The Macquarie Group Foundation has already donated $1 million to the campaign, which will include scholarships funded by different organizations. Yesterday afternoon, edX reported that the first, the Macquarie Group Scholarship Program, had received over 5,000 applications in just a few hours.
Aspiring online learners can already access financial assistance via edX, which offers up to a 90 percent discount on certificates for learners who cannot afford to pay. Scholarships will cover 100 percent of the cost of an edX course or program, including options offered for credit such as MicroMasters and MicroBachelors.
Requests for financial assistance on edX increased significantly this year, up 240 percent from June 2019 to June 2020. More than 30,000 requests were made between March 16 and June 7 this year amid the pandemic.
The scholarship campaign is a response to the economic pressure that COVID-19 has placed on would-be learners, said Anant Agarwal, founder and CEO of edX, in a news release.
“We will feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and higher education reverberate for years to come,” said Anant.
