in order to benefit a wider population and provide an opportunity to those who are restricted by time and financial conditions but are willing to learn by themselves, many elite universities, such as Yale, Stanford and MIT, have offered massive open online courses, generally known as MOOCs, to make the resources of higher education available to an increasing number of students. In the article "They Year of The MOOC" on New York Times, Aaura Pappano mentioned that back in the early 2000s, MOOCs had already been used as teaching aids. However, in 2012, MOOC experienced an explosive development, and a great number of elite universities participate in such events. Interest groups Interest groups in US higher education include philanthropic foundations, trade unions, trade associations, think tanks, and businesses associated with higher education. Philanthropic organizations include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Charles Koch Foundation. Trade unions tied to higher education include the American Association of University Professors, American Federation of Teachers, and Service Employees International Union. Trade associations: include the American Council on Education, American Association of Community Colleges, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and Association of American Universities. Think tanks reporting on higher education include the Lumina Foundation, Center for American Progress, Brookings Institution, Third Way, and Cato Institute. Businesses associated with higher education include student loan lenders, student loan debt collectors, academic publishers, and online program management companies. Notable companies include Wells Fargo, Discover Financial Services, Navient, Sallie Mae, Pearson, and Prentice Hall. See also Discrimination in the United States History of education in the United States Medical education in the United States Poverty in the United States References Education in the United States Education issues