Spelman College's online learning program has become profitable and is drawing massive interest, per a featured report by Lauren Coffey of Inside Higher Ed. The program called eSpelman was launched in Fall 2022 as an experiment of sorts. At the start of the program last year, it served 49 students and offered three certificate programs.

A surge in interest caused the eSpelman program to increase its population of student learners several times: first increasing the program to 150 students, then 250, and now currently sits at about 410 students. The program also has expanded to provide seven certificate programs. eSpelman also is a profitable venture for the institution, raising $4 million in revenue.

“The goal was to break even but to have such a profit was a dream,” Tiffany Watson, Associate Vice President for eSpelman operations said in the Inside Higher Ed feature.

eSpelman, which was an idea that was entertained by the institution as early as 2010, is expanding educational opportunities for non-traditional students. Coffey spoke with Tracy Lindstrom, a 44-year-old mother of six who wanted to pursue a career in project management. According to Lindstrom in the quote obtained by Inside Higher Ed, the program is perfect for her.

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“This is something I can put on my résumé, saying, ‘I have the education,’ without jumping through the hoops.”

Each certificate program costs $3,600 and credit-bearing but can be used as an elective if the students enrolled in the program want to become full-time Spelman College students. The program has partnered with Giuld to reach out to Fortune 1000 companies in the hope of covering tuition for employees of the companies that want to be a part of the program.

Mark Rudnick spoke about the partnership in an email obtained by Coffey, saying, “What we know for certain is that there is a large and growing population of working adults that are hungry to learn and who need new skills to take the next steps in their career. Higher ed institutions have the opportunity to be a part of a really impactful solution.”