The University of Phoenix, which has 19,000 online students, could afford to invest even more resources into its Web initiatives if the restrictions ease, says acting president Laura Palmer Noone. Federal aid, in the form of loans and grants, already accounts for one-third of all revenue earned by universities. The U.S. Department of Education has responded to online education providers by waiving the 50 percent requirements for 15 programs each year. Many colleges and universities report that, despite their efforts to encourage online applications, most prospective students still prefer to submit paper applications. Although over 75 percent of the nation's schools now accept applications online, according to the National Association of College Admission Counseling, the number of online applications received last year ranged from one-third to only 2 percent of schools' totals.
Many applicants admit that they simply feel more secure sending paper applications.
Also, many say their parents and guidance counselors are reluctant to embrace the new technology in the belief that college admissions officials look down on online applications. Admissions officials, however, say this is not true and that, in fact, most prefer online applications because they facilitate data entry. Some institutions even wave the application fee for students who submit online. However, those skeptical of the movement toward online applications counter that schools must be prepared to deal with issues of the digital divide, as some students applying to college will not have immediate access to a computer or the Internet. Educators say the courses are essential to matching the needs of the new economy, and participating students agree that the courses are a key step toward finding jobs, often quite lucrative ones.