By Gift ChapiOdekina

An American online university, the University of the People (UoPeople), has revealed that over 31,000 Nigerian students are currently enrolled in its fully accredited tuition-free degree programmes, making Nigeria its largest student base outside the United States.

The President of the institution, Mr. Shai Reshef, disclosed this during a virtual interaction with journalists, noting that the school’s model is designed to break the barriers of access to higher education, particularly in developing nations like Nigeria where university spaces remain grossly inadequate.

“We started in 2009 and now have over 170,000 students from 213 countries. Nigeria is one of our most important countries, with about 31,000 students,” Reshef said.

“Many Nigerians qualify for higher education but are unable to attend universities due to limited slots or high tuition fees. Our model makes it possible for everyone with a high school diploma and English proficiency to study with us online.”

Reshef explained that the University of the People is a U.S.-accredited institution with the same accreditation body as Stanford, Berkeley, and UCLA. However, unlike traditional universities, the UoPeople operates entirely online.

“Students study from home and take proctored exams. They never need to travel to the U.S.,” he said. “We only offer degrees that are relevant to employment — Business Administration, Computer Science, Health Science, and at the master’s level, Education, IT, and MBA.”

He noted that while tuition is free, the university charges a minimal assessment fee of $160 per undergraduate course, amounting to just over $5,000 for a full bachelor’s degree. Postgraduate programmes also cost around $5,000 in total.

“We are tuition-free but not totally free. We have partial and full scholarships for students who cannot afford the course fees,” Reshef explained.

“About 10,000 of our Nigerian students pay full tuition, 15,000 receive partial scholarships, and 5,000 benefit from full scholarships.”

Despite the growth of online learning, Reshef acknowledged that graduates of the University of the People currently face National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) recognition challenges in Nigeria because they do not physically study abroad.

“We are aware that our graduates are not yet recognized by NYSC since they never leave Nigeria,” he said. “However, we are in talks with the Nigerian government and are optimistic that the situation will change soon.

“We are accredited in the United States — the global gold standard — so we hope Nigeria will align with this recognition.”

A Nigerian Beneficiary’s Story: ‘UoPeople Gave Me My Life Back’

One of the institution’s scholarship beneficiaries, Ms. Aisha Moshoud, shared her inspiring story during the virtual session.

Aisha, a firstborn from a low-income family, said she had struggled for years to gain admission into Nigerian universities despite passing her entrance exams.

“I graduated from secondary school in 2015 and kept applying to Nigerian universities without success. My parents couldn’t afford private university fees,” she recounted.

“In 2023, I applied to the University of the People but couldn’t even afford the $60 application fee. Later, I got an email saying I had been approved for a grant that covered my application and a full scholarship. That changed my life.”

Now studying Health Science, Aisha said the programme’s flexibility allows her to learn at her own pace despite poor electricity and internet challenges in her area.

“It’s a non-clinical health course, and I realized that’s where my passion truly lies — in healthcare management,” she said.

“People used to see me as a failure for not getting admission in Nigeria, but now I’m earning a U.S. degree. UoPeople gave me back my purpose and dignity.”

She appealed to the Nigerian government to recognize online degrees for NYSC eligibility.

“If our degrees are accredited in the U.S., why shouldn’t they be recognized here? We deserve to serve our country,” she added.

Reshef concluded that the University of the People aims to democratize education globally, especially for those in underserved regions.

“We believe education is a right, not a privilege. Our mission is to make quality higher education accessible to every qualified student, regardless of their financial situation or location,” he said.