Course broker consortia do not offer full degrees. Although members of a course broker collaborative may share the costs of operating a collaborative, or even a network, they do not share revenues that derive from students taking courses listed through the broker. The course broker model allows consortia to avoid controversial issues underlying institutional integration. For instance, schools do not offer joint degrees and so do not need to negotiate revenue-sharing agreements. Tuition is set by the originating institution.
Financial aid flows through the originating institution.
Schedul-ing conflicts do not need to be negotiated. Admissions criteria and awarding of a degree remain the province of the originating institution. Though such a model allows students to choose from a variety of courses, it does not create a consistent learning experience across courses, and it does not draw from the relative strengths of member institutions to create a cohesive degree program. MVAC offers 130 courses and 27 degree and certificate programs. By referring interested students to the originating institution to complete admission, registration and other processes, we can sidestep many of the thornier issues involved in offering joint degree programs.