Modern States Education Alliance

By Will Geiger

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University. Full Bio

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Updated: May 21st, 2020

One of the constant complaints we get about scholarships is that “there isn’t a scholarship for me.” It seems as though most scholarships are for a very specific person (which is why we started the Scholarships360 Circle Scholarship for well-rounded students). However, just because you didn’t win scholarships doesn’t mean you can’t ultimately pay a lot less for college. This is where Modern States comes in and offers an alternative pathway to free college credit.

Recently, I had the chance to chat with Steve Klinsky and David Vise about Modern States, an online learning platform that is creating a different path to an affordable college education. Steve, the founder of Modern States, has been involved in education reform for a number of years. After the “MOOC Revolution” of 2012, Steve saw an opportunity to provide high-quality coursework that would be linked to actual college credential. All courses, textbooks, and materials are free, so students have everything that they need to learn. Best of all, this opportunity is not only accessible to high school seniors attending the most well-resourced public and private schools, but open to everyone with an internet connection, regardless of socioeconomic status, location, or background. 

How does Modern States work for students?

Getting free college credit through Modern States Education Alliance is a straightforward process:

1. Students can check out the courses that they want to take that are taught by professors from top universities around the country
2. Each course will prepare students for Advanced Placement or CLEP exams that are accepted for credit by more than 2,900 colleges and universities
3. If you pass eight exams, you will potentially have enough credit for a free freshman year
4. Over 2,000 schools will accept AP or CLEP credit, but here is a sample of schools that will accept credit

Usually, students will have to pay a fee to take the AP or CLEP tests (which are both less than $100, still much cheaper than college tuition), but Modern States Education Alliance will pay for the first 10,000 students taking the test!

Throughout our conversation, Steve cited Abraham Lincoln, who was self-educated and took full ownership of his education. This is the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” spirit that Modern States Education Alliance channels, enabling motivated students, regardless of background, access to affordable college credits. 

An entire year of college tuition costs tens of thousands of dollars. This is a like a $10,000 or $20,000 scholarship that anyone can take advantage of with some time and hard work!