Providing access to educational opportunities

A cornerstone of Franklin’s educational philosophy

Responding to the needs of students and society, Franklin’s access to education provides enhanced opportunities for students from a wide range of work/life circumstances, socioeconomic and academic backgrounds, and locations.

The course formats, admissions policies, and support services enhance educational opportunity and include multiple physical locations, online learning, flexible scheduling, maximized transfer of college credit, affordable tuition, rolling admissions, and class-section accommodation.

Multiple physical locations
Online learning
Maximized transfer of college credit
Flexible scheduling
Affordable tuition
Rolling admissions
Class-section accommodation

Multiple Physical Locations

For on campus classes, the University offers instruction at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio,and at three suburban locations, offering convenience for those who may work or live in nearby communities.

• Franklin’s Main Campus is located on 14 acres in downtown Columbus, Ohio, where the institution’s buildings house classrooms, computer labs, testing and tutoring facilities, study centers, and meeting rooms. Faculty and administrative offices are situated in Alumni Hall and Frasch Hall, while the Nationwide Library, multimedia and computer labs, and classrooms are located in Frasch Hall and Phillips Hall. The Student Learning Center (SLC), located in Fisher Hall, provides testing and tutoring facilities, while the Paul J. Otte Student Services Center is home to student advisors, the Office of the Registrar, the bookstore, and other administrative offices. The Main Street building, opening in January 2008, will be the location of Franklin’s technology center and staff offices.
  
• Franklin’s three central Ohio locations serve students for whom the drive to the Main Campus may be inconvenient. The Dublin location, on the northwest side of Columbus, serves more than 1,000 students annually, providing classrooms, computer labs, and testing and advising services. The Westerville location serves more than 700 students living or working in the east/northeast sector of the city, and includes classrooms and computer labs. The University’s newest offsite location, opened in November 2007, is in Delaware, Ohio, offering courses to students who live or work in the north central region of Columbus. The location has two standard classrooms and one computerized classroom.
• Franklin University's Indianapolis location serves students living and working in the Greater Indianapolis area. The location features classrooms, a learning resource center, computer lab, wireless Internet connectivity, and quick-use student kiosks for student convenience.

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Online Learning

Online education has shown explosive growth in the last ten years, and Franklin has met and measured the challenges brought on by this growth.

At the forefront of the colleges and universities in the United States offering online degree programs, Franklin’s first courses were adapted for online learning in 1998. Franklin is now among the 42.2% of private four-year nonprofit institutions that make an advanced education accessible in an online format.  Sixteen of the 19 Franklin Undergraduate programs, as well as the Vantage MBA® Program, are available completely online.

Over the last decade, Franklin’s online enrollment has grown significantly and today comprises approximately 60% of the University’s credit hours. We have made large investments in technology, staffing, and assessment mechanisms enabling this growth. Concurrently, Franklin has been vigilant in preserving high academic quality and student service.

This development illustrates how Franklin has responded to changes in technology and society in a manner that increases access to educational opportunity for students.

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Maximized Transfer of College Credit

Franklin works to minimize loss of previously earned college credit and maximize the opportunity for individuals to transfer credit from another academic institution to Franklin University. Today, approximately 85% of the University’s students transfer college credits from at least one other institution.

Yet beyond the convenience and flexibility transferring to Franklin can offer to students, the University is highly cognizant of the responsibility associated with ensuring that the degrees it confers are respected and valued. Doing so is integral to Franklin’s dedication to prepare our students to meet the requirements of a society that expects to benefit from the learning achieved.

Therefore, with an eye on emphasizing institutional integrity, the University employs a detailed structure to effectively access the course credits students wish to transfer yo Franklin. An entire department is dedicated to overseeing the review and processing of transfer credit based on foundational requirements established by the faculty of the University.

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Flexible Scheduling

Courses are offered in a variety of lengths (3-,6-, 7-, 12- and 15-week formats) to meet students’ scheduling needs.

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Affordable Tuition

In an environment characterized by rapidly rising tuition rates that can create a substantial barrier to higher education, Franklin is committed to managing tuition costs. As a result, Franklin University continues to maintain one of the lowest tuition rates among all private, four-year institutions in Ohio. Franklin earned a Top 25 Best Buy designation from GetEducated.com in 2006.

Affordable tuition allows Franklin University to attract students from various socioeconomic groups and provides educational access to many who otherwise may be unable to afford a college education.

At Franklin, there is also no cost differentiation for out-of-state and out-of-country students. Additionally, online and face-to-face students pay the same tuition rates. Students are provided with flexible payment options, thereby removing another barrier for those who may struggle to balance education costs with other living expenses, or who may be dependent upon employer reimbursement.

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Rolling Admissions

Franklin’s rolling admissions process permits students to enroll in courses at various points throughout the academic year, rather than being restricted to a primary enrollment period.

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Class Section Accommodation

Respecting students’ needs to take courses when they are ready, the University opens new sections when enrollment limits are reached. This practice enables students to proceed through their studies with fewer interruptions.

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