TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Tucson residents are enrolling in a tuition-free online university as nearly half of Arizona college graduates pay back student loans averaging $24,298, according to the Institute for College Access and Success.
University of the People, founded in 2009, now serves 170,000 students across 213 countries. Local students are completing degrees for a few thousand dollars without taking on debt.
Students find an alternative path
George “Joe” Ahumada, a Tucson resident, left college years ago when he struggled to balance school, fatherhood, and supporting his family.
“I attempted to go to school and work, and I was just never home. I missed a lot with my kids, and I said, ‘You know what, I’ll find something else,’” Ahumada said…