# University of the People: Support a Student

By [Continuations](https://continuations.com) · 2013-05-17

education, university of the people, shai reshef

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I first met [Shai Reshef](https://twitter.com/ShaiReshef), the indefatigable force behind [University of the People](http://www.uopeople.org/), at [DLD in 2009](http://continuations.com/post/74061478/education-learning-and-the-transition-to-the). Since then I have come to know Shai as someone who cares deeply about using education to empower people all around the world. He is taking quite a different approach from the MOOCs by scaling UoPeople much more slowly and deliberately and working diligently towards accreditation.

The approach has two premises. First, in many countries around the world a degree plays a dramatic role in changing the income trajectory for individuals. This has also been the insight behind [Vittana](http://vittana.org) which provides student loans. Second, Shai is looking to build a self sustaining model. To that end while [courses at UoPeople are free](http://www.uopeople.org/groups/tuition-free-universities), they charge a $10-50 application fee and a $100 exam fee per course. Because of UoPeople’s very lean model they can become self funding with only a few thousand students. From there Shai believes they can grow to tens and eventually hundreds of thousand students globally.

In the meantime of course $100 per course is still a huge amount of money in many parts of the world. Based on my advice, UoPeople has rolled out a [micro scholarship program](http://www.uopeople.org/groups/microscholarship). Here you can [give as little as $10](http://www.uopeople.org/groups/students) to help a student with his or her exams (there are mostly men because women currently receive [a scholarship from HP](http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Data-Central/HP-is-first-contributor-to-UoPeople-Women-Scholarship-Fund/ba-p/117535#.UZYkUytARk0)). So if you are feeling fortunate because of where you are in life, [go and help someone](http://www.uopeople.org/groups/students) get the education to make their life better.

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*Originally published on [Continuations](https://continuations.com/university-of-the-people-support-a-student)*