Talk:Free University

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What does free university means. Can anyone tell me?

Disambiguation is to route people to what they are looking for if it has the same name as something else.

This disambiguation page shouldn't exist because none of the things listed on it are commonly known as Free University.

It doesn't matter what Free University means. If something is legitimately known as Free University, it should be disambiguated. None of these thing are, so they shouldn't be. Free Open University does not offer degrees and is not commonly known as Free University. (I know, I operate it.) It is known as Free Open University.

To answer your question: In most of the world for many years, universities were only available to certain classes of people. When Open Universities (ones that any one qualifying could enter) became available, they were called free universities.

Almost all universities would meet that definition today but some still have the word free in their name. Free MIT and Free A&M were free universities but went out of business for lack of funds.

There are several schools that do not charge tuition and tuition free programs but almost all require the student to work. This would not only not be free but can be very expensive.

There are some very expensive programs that involve CLEP exams such as Free ED. The Free Ed web site is free but the CLEP tests cost as much as a community college and never provides a degree or a full college education. When the CLEP credits are accepted at a university, they make you pay per credit hour just as if you took the course. So you pay double making the Free Ed route very costly.

Free Ed is not commonly known as Free University and would be in violation of state of Georgia laws if they were. Degree granting institutions are regulated in the state of Georgia and Free Ed is not registered with them. [Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission

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"Free university" would not mean university that does not charge fees. There is no such thing. "Free university" would mean 'higher learning facility that does not charge admission or tuition fees', although some might wish to use the term to indicate some other form of 'freedom'.

On another point, I am today removing the dead (no article linked) reference from list for "* Free A&M University, located in Texas, USA;" because after exhaustive search I have found:

1.) Texas A&M is not "free" and does require tuition.

2.) Texas A&M does not appear to promote any usage of the term "free" in their own self-description.

3.) There does not appear to be a free "agricultural and mechanical" or "A&M" "university" anywhere in Texas, USA. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.33.234.149 (talk) 23:31, 14 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It doesn't matter if you can find them on the Internet. Disambiguation is about redirecting people who expect to find an encyclopedia entry about a Free University. 69.39.49.27 (talk)

Free MIT and Free A&M University have been merged and renamed Free Open University and is located in Bryan Texas. It is not affiliated with Texas A&M University but does have a number of Texas A&M People involved with it. It is an auto Socratic school that uses a peer reviewed essay system similar to Thomas Aquinas College in California. They do not provide a diploma or degree and are not accredited or licensed. The completed essay serve as the proof of learning. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.39.49.27 (talk) 10:07, 11 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

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NOTE: While I've been meaning to figure out all the editing symbols and syntax for Wikipedia for some time now, I've as yet never gotten around tot the tutorial... and have as of yet not 'created an account' to allow me to create a page for the dead-referenced "Free ED" listed here --- HOWEVER for anyone out there looking who would appreciate the link, that website is at http://www.freeuniv.com/ -- it is not really a 'university', but rather a website that helps guide students toward earning credits via exam, and assisting with the attainment of knowledge to that end.

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Linkspam?[edit]

I've twice removed an external link to "Free Open University". It appears to be non-notable (the WP article for Free Open University has been speedy deleted twice) and not an actual university. The website does not even contain the university's supposed name, it just appears to be a site called "Collegiate Independent Study". Also, there may be a conflict of interest with the user (Scottprovost (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log)) who has added the link (he is closely affiliated with, if not the founder of, the "university").

Also, from what I understand, disambiguation pages are primarily for internal wikilinks (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). If the school is not notable enough for an article on Wikipedia, then an external link doesn't belong on this page either. SheepNotGoats (Talk) 12:48, 19 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The Only Free University[edit]

There is only one free university. It has been in existence since 1999 and has had several thousand students in over 30 countries. There are over 200 free classes available. It is supported by Texas A&M University and now hosts all the course from the original Free A&M University. It hosts all the courses from the original Free MIT and offers testing and evaluation for learners using all 1,600 Open course ware classes from http://ocw.mit.edu It even has a bible institute called Free Open Bible Institute with over 100 courses on it as well.

If Free Open University, the only free university, is not notable, do not have a page on free universities because it is only one. If you do have a page on free universities we should be on it with all the other things someone might call a free university. It should be made clear that none of the thinks listed as free universities are in fact free universities. Scottprovost (talk) 13:14, 19 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Can you provide reliable sources that would verify these facts? It would help establish notability. SheepNotGoats (Talk) 13:26, 19 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I am not claiming notability. Nothing listed on this disamb page is notable or a free university I do not think the page should exist. It was created as spam for FreeED spamer that sells CLEP Testing study materials at a fake free university

Conflict of Interest[edit]

The many free universities that have existed have been removed from Wikipedia to prevent competition with the failed fake university called Wikiversity a failed project of Wikimedia Foundation. We have pleaded with them to take the site down or put a disclaimer on it telling people that they can not get a college education there and nothing they do there can every be used at a real university. The classes at Free Open University if taken in the proscribed was will produce essays that can be used to get independent study credits at Texas A&M University and hundreds of universities across the US and abroad.

We continue to plead with wikiversity to match their course content to established course descriptions and provide instructions that could lead to the greatest educational resource on earth. But they refuse to comply with basic homosocratic principles and even a minimal pedagogy. I continue to plead even now. Scottprovost (talk) 13:31, 19 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, I just realized I hadn't linked to Wikipedia's definition when I used the term. Notability is defined on Wikipedia in a very specific way. Basically, something is notable if it has been the subject of significant coverage in independent reliable sources. Anyway, the few schools I glanced at on the list seem to be "notable" by WP's definition. They are well-sourced articles about established institutions. Also, keep in mind that this page is meant to be simply a list of universities with the word "Free" in their names; it doesn't mean they actually are free (incidentally, this appears to be a more common designation in Europe than in the U.S.).

I just glanced at Free ED, and I agree that it may not be appropriate here. I'll do a little research to see if it should be removed.

Unfortuantely, I can't help you with regards to Wikiversity; I'm not too familiar with the project. You may want to bring up your concerns over there. SheepNotGoats (Talk) 13:45, 19 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

FYI, I removed the Free ED link. I can't find anything about it at all. If anyone find reliable sources about it, feel free to replace it. SheepNotGoats (Talk) 13:48, 19 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]