That number represents about 7 percent of the state's 300,000 college students. The Indiana College Network, which includes a private college and all seven public universities, has established 63 learning centers throughout the state and promotes offerings to students anywhere. Colleges design their courses with faculty input, the network offers guidelines for delivery and design, and the state's higher education commission has final approval of the degree programs before they can be offered. Other colleges not affiliated with the network offer distance education courses as well to hundreds of other students. Only two other states, Maryland and Colorado, have higher numbers of distance learners, according to similar networks in those states.
Estimates are fuzzy, however, on total costs after the course becomes a reality.
They can't say if it's cheaper in the long run to run a distance class, because some costs aren't easy to compare. But students sometimes find online courses cost more per credit hour than on-campus courses. That's not easy to answer, partly because accreditation standards for distance learning courses are still being debated nationally, said Purdue University's Philip H. Swain, director of its Center for Lifelong Learning. But still that's not a guarantee. Indiana Wesleyan, a private college based in Marion, has a growing program.