The partnership is IU’s first of its kind in Germany and Europe, and will allow US students to access “flexible” study programs in both English and German, as well as the possibility to study a semester in Germany.

Students with the platform aiming to expand access to higher education will be able to transfer credits towards IU bachelor’s degree programs. More than 50 customisable study programs are available in English at the the German institution.

IU and StraighterLine have much synergy between their missions, StraighterLine chief learning officer Amy Smith suggested.

“We both seek to help adult learners succeed on a pathway to employability and career success by offering high-quality online courses coupled with all the support they need to be successful,” Smith said.

“Our partnership offers students in the US and around the world an opportunity to save money on their degree and graduate faster so they can get started in their career.”

Among the 10,000+ companies IU collaborates with include: Deutsche Bahn; Motel One; Telekom; Vodafone; and VW Financial Services.

“We are happy to welcome StraighterLine into our partnership network and offer its students the opportunity to study in an international and flexible environment,” Carolin Kreuder, COO of Corporate Programs at IU, added.

“We believe that we can offer US students a real added value”

“We believe that we can offer US students a real added value with our three-year job-relevant bachelor programs at just a fraction of the US cost.”

In 2019, StraighterLine and education management business Campus3 announced a first-year online program to allow international students to start studies in their home countries while waiting for a visa.

The StraighterLine platform supports over 45,000 new students a year.