Purdue University, a flagship public institution in Indiana, is jumping into online education by buying for-profit Kaplan University with the aim of creating a new, public online university. The highly unusual acquisition will extend Purdue’s reach to more working adults while building an additional revenue stream at a time when state funding is uncertain. Purdue President Mitch Daniels said the school wanted to stay true to its land grant mission of educating as many people as possible, but he recognized it couldn’t build...
Indiana's Purdue University is buying Kaplan University with the aim of creating an online public university and widening its reach. The deal will give Indiana a new name for one of America's largest private universities, but it also gives Purdue access to more than $900 million in federal student aid that could help pay off debt incurred The move highlighted shifts in the higher education market as public funding declines, tuition fees rise and college students grow older, busier and more indebted.