NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal & Campus.edu Provide Free College Courses

June 21, 2024 

NBA Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal has teamed up with Campus.edu to help more students in the US see themselves as "college material." Through the duo's "Try College" initiative, an initial cohort of up to 500 high school students and recent graduates have the opportunity to take free business courses from top college professors this summer. 

According to APLU research, compared with individuals whose highest degree is a high school diploma, bachelor’s degree holders are 24% more likely to be employed, 3.5x less likely to impoverished and nearly 5x less likely to be imprisoned. However, across the country, total college enrollment (graduate and undergraduate) fell 4% from 2019 to 2023. In 2022, 62% of recent high school graduates were enrolled in college – the lowest rate in over 20 years.  There are four million fewer students in college than 10 years ago, a decline due to COVID-19 and a dip in Americans under 18. Less than 1 in 3 adults say a degree is worth the cost.

“What we’re seeing today is too many kids wondering if college is still worth it. These students either feel like they aren’t college material or believe the price tag is out of reach and that’s a shame,” said O’Neal. “We believe everyone should have access to higher learning and with that in mind, we’re making college classes available so that hundreds of students have the opportunity to show the world what they can do.” 

The Try College initiative intends to reverse declining higher education rates by building confidence and providing an attainable transition and education to high learning and college. The first group of students will be taught college courses by faculty who teach at top-tier colleges and universities across the country at no cost. Students can select one of four business courses: Introduction to Business Administration, Principles of Marketing, Principles of Microeconomics or English Composition. 

Campus.edu is a community college with a mission to maximize access to world-class higher education. It is designed for students looking to fast-track themselves to a career or four-year degree. Every student is offered a wifi-enabled laptop and unlimited math and writing tutoring. Students are also paired with a coach as soon as they enroll.

Over the years, O'Neal has invested in several education ventures. With Campus, he was intrigued by the idea that students could access to quality education while also attaining a debt-free degree. As part of this new program, no tuition will be charged for the courses, textbooks and other required course materials. Students will also have 24/7 access to tutoring and can communicate with a personal success coach.

"We know that talent is everywhere, but too many talented students simply don't think college is for them... We're doing this to show young people that college is within reach, that college can be affordable, and that they don't have to do this alone," said Tade Oyerinde, Campus.edu's founder and Chancellor. 

Try College courses begin this July with applications being accepted through June 28.